Season Eight: My Way
by C.Dill
Summary: I always thought Xander got the shaft. He never got to really do anything...so this is my ode to the man. I hope everyone likes reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
1. Chapter 1

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Season 8 (As written by Crystal)

Episode One: Different Town, Same Story

Scene One:

"Buffy, there is something of dire importance that we need to discuss."

Buffy Summers, formally of Sunnydale currently of wherever in the hell she wanted to be, let Rupert Giles into her hotel room. She and Dawn had been traveling the world ever since the Hellmouth had closed. The summer had been wonderful, no vampires, lots of men, and absolutely no "things of dire importance."

"Sure Giles, come right on in a screw up my perfect life."

Giles entered with a bland smile and removed his glasses to wipe them off with his ever-present handkerchief. He looked at the hotel room with a discerning eye, and Buffy couldn't help but feel a rush of relief when he seemed to find the accommodations to his liking.

"The council has sent me"

Buffy raised her hand to halt his words, "Let me guess," She tried and failed miserably at what she thought was an adequate Giles impersonation. "'The council has sent me to tear you away from what was beginning to seem like a normal life. There is a demon— no an apocalypse brewing in- insert foreign land- and the only person that can stop it is you.' Am I close Giles?"

"Buffy, I know that you are enjoying your new freedoms, but you are technically still the Slayer. Besides Faith, you are the only one with experience in things of dire consequence."

Buffy watched as Giles took a seat on the gauche chaise that came with the room. His tweed jacket looked appropriately ridiculous against the leopard print backdrop of said furniture.

"And where is Faith, Giles?"

"You guess is as good as mine. After the Hellmouth was closed she and Principal Wood disappeared. The council is looking for her, but Faith isn't known for her predictability. She could be anywhere."

"Well, they can look a little harder. Giles, I don't want to go back. Dawn and I are just getting a life going. I don't want to drag her into more danger."

"The End of the World is approaching Buffy."

Buffy laughed. How many times had she heard those words?

"Giles, I hate to tell you this, but the end of the world can be fought by not just me, but by an army of Slayers. I am not the only one. Call Andrew. Tell him to saddle up the strongest recruits and send them off into battle."

"It isn't that easy."

"Why the hell not?"

"Really Buffy, your language is not appropriate."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. Here was the part she always hated. The part when Giles opened a book and told her that some-insert bad guy's name here- was going to destroy the world or bring hell on earth. She had not missed this at all.

"Buffy? GILES!"

Dawn came bouncing in from sunbathing and ran toward Giles with her arms opened. Giles smiled at the young woman.

"Hello Dawn."

Dawn gave him a familial hug, and sat next to him on the chaise.

"It is so great to see you again. Willow called yesterday to check up on us and Xander owns his own company now. I never thought in a million years that you would just show up like this. I am so glad you are here. Giles, why are you here?"

Buffy interrupted Dawn's excited babble.

"Dawn, Giles was just about to explain to me how the world was going to end."

Dawn sighed; "Not another apocalypse?"

"This is not an apocalypse. An apocalypse can be stopped; I don't think this can be."

Dawn grabbed Giles' hand, and Buffy felt a moment of guilt. She wished that she could have greeted Giles with such affection. She had missed him a lot over the past few months.

Dawn spoke then bringing Buffy out of her thoughts; "What is going on Giles?"

"The Kala Remeen has been summoned."

Buffy frowned, "What is the Kala Remeen?"

"No one knows. It has no corporeal form. It has never been seen and as far as the council knows no one has ever spoken to it."

Dawn frowned; "Then how does anyone know that it exists?"

"It is an infection. An infection older than The First. It was the virus that brought The First into being. Someone has released it from its prison. It doesn't just kill. It turns anyone that is infected into an animal. It eats away at their humanity until they are nothing more than a snarling beast with one agenda alone- to kill."

Buffy felt the familiar trickle of dread. The First had been one bad mother, but to think that it was created by this thing that Giles was talking about. She knew that none of the former Potentials could handle something like this.

"Okay, Giles. I'm listening. What do we need to do?"

She didn't miss the look of relief that crossed Giles' face at her words.

Dawn shared a look of dread with Buffy and posed her own question; "Who put the Kala Remeen in its prison, and how do we put it back?"

Giles pulled a very large and very musty book from a dusty brown satchel at his side. He opened up to a page that he had been marked with a bright yellow sticky note and began to read:

"Its name is rooted in a language that has long been lost to mortal man. The Kala Remeen is "The Destroyer of Love." It ruled before The First and with The First for thousands of years. Destruction was brought to anyone with humanity and goodness. There was no refuge from the inhumane torture they forced upon the masses. Death ruled..."

Again Buffy rolled her eyes; "Okay so this thing is bad with a capital B, but how was it captured?"

Giles smiled a bit and said, "I have missed you." Before he continued:

"The Kala Remeen was captured in Cerridwen's cauldron. Love brought the cauldron into being and love put the beast into its prison. Cerridwen's cauldron was hidden within the earth with the intention of never being found. Love is the destroyer of the Kala Remeen. It is the key which turns the lock to its cell."

"So, to kill this demon, you have to love it?" Dawn asked the question when Giles had completed his recitation.

Giles shook his head; "I don't know what it means. I wish I could tell you more. The one thing that the council did assure me of was the cauldron was still intact and being kept by a woman in Alabama."

"Alabama?" Buffy and Dawn asked in unison.

"I was as shocked as you. It would seem that this woman, Gabrielle Kincaid, is a powerful witch who found the cauldron after Kala Remeen had been released. She was the one that contacted the Council."

Buffy smirked; "They have witches in Alabama?"

Giles chuckled softly; "Apparently. Oh and Buffy there is one more thing that you should know about Cerridwen's cauldron?"

"That it sautés as well as boils?"

"Well, no. You need to know that the cauldron goes by many names. Some are too old to remember and some have been interwoven into popular mythology."

Dawn frowned; "What are you trying to say?"

Giles shifted uncomfortably; "To many it is known as Cerridwen's cauldron, but to even more it is known as- The Holy Grail."

Scene Two: Two days later

Xander Harris was having a bad day. He had the wrong blue prints, the once cold beer in his office was now reduced to luke-warm frothiness, he was hungry as hell, and he hadn't gotten laid since he left Sunnydale. Even though he hated to admit it, he wished that there was a handy vampire around to stake. It just might relieve some of his tension.

He had also been having funky dreams lately. Not his usual private-time-in the dark-hot and sweaty dreams. But crazy dreams about a big crock-pot and some chick with green eyes. He couldn't figure out if he was hungry or horny.

"No more Food Network before bed." He mumbled to himself.

He just hadn't felt like himself lately. He had spoken to Willow a total of four times over the summer. She and Kennedy had been real heavy with the gay-love for about three weeks after the big battle, but now she was in New York City about to go to college and Kennedy was in England helping Andrew train Slayers. Buffy was Ms. World Traveler, so she and Dawn hadn't been easy to get in touch with either. He felt, well, he felt out of the loop. For seven years his life had been simple, get up, go to school or work, and help Buffy fight unspeakable evil.

He had had a routine.

Now, he worked all day, went home, paid bills, ate bad take out from a really bad Chinese restaurant two blocks from his house.

He missed the action. He missed the spontaneity.

He missed his friends.

"Mr. Harris." Lydia Brockhiemer, otherwise known as his secretary, buzzed in on the intercom.

Mr. Harris. Every time he heard it Xander couldn't help but smile. Having someone speak to him in such respectful terms made him feel- manly.

"Yes, Lydia."

"There are three people in the waiting room demanding to see you sir."

Demanding to see him? Hmmm finally something to break the monotony.

"Send them in Lydia."

"Yes sir."

Xander took a long sip from his beer and looked at the clock. Nine thirty-seven. Maybe he would take an early lunch.

He opened his desk drawer without even thinking and pulled out the one picture that he had kept of Anya. It was very hard to believe that she was dead. Not like in bringing her back from the grave dead, but really dead. The one person he knew that feared getting older would stay young to the people that knew her forever. Leave it to Anya to find a way to never grow up.

His fingers outlined her cheek with silent reverence. It wasn't that he still had the warm fuzzies for her. In fact, that had all begun to disintegrate the moment he had found her getting it on with Spike. She was just another thing that he missed from Sunnydale. Another person that risked her life for the world at large. Not because she had to, but because it was the right thing to do. He put her picture back in the drawer and shut it before his memories got the better of him.

Cautiously, he raised his hand to the patch that never left his eye. He might not have lost his life, but he had lost a lot as well- everything from his boyhood delusions to his sight. He had never told anyone, partly because he knew that all of his friends had sacrificed as well, but it pained him to look in the mirror. He wasn't a vain man, but the sight of his face with the patch concealing his eye made him feel incomplete.

"Wow Xand. I have to say I am proud of you. The receptionist and all it is very Donald Trump. Just do us all a favor and eighty-six the whole hair thing. You wouldn't look good with a comb-over."

Hastily, he put the picture back into the recesses of his drawer and looked up. He blinked one, twice, three times. They were still there. Buffy, who had just spoken, Giles, and Dawn. In his office.

"Jeez Buff." His voice was a little choked as he slid his chair back and got up to wrap his arms around her. He didn't just stop with her. Dawn was next. Hell, even Giles gave him several hearty thumps on the back.

"Yes, well, I have to say Xander your accommodations are very plush."

Xander smiled. "Thanks G-Man. I have to say, I'm not complaining."

Dawn walked around the office and grinned when she found a picture of the whole Scooby Gang hanging on the wall. He didn't have a picture of his biological family. Over the years, he had learned one valuable lesson.

Family was more than blood.

"Not that I am complaining, but what brings you to my neck of the woods. I thought you and the Dawnster were still living it up abroad."

Buffy fell back in her usual artless manner. She sighed and snuggled closer to the plush leather of his brand new sofa.

"Well, Giles showed up a few days ago with some bad news."

Xander frowned. Bad news. The only question was, was this Sunnydale bad news or hey, the stock market is about to crash bad news.

Believe it or not, he hoped it was the stock market.

Giles took his glasses off and began to wipe them as he made his way to the window in Xander's office. The view wasn't much to look at. Just cars coming and going. People going about their day to day lives. None of them ever knowing that their worst nightmares could become reality if people like Buffy didn't keep everything in balance.

Everyone was quiet for a long moment. Then like a memory unfolding before his eyes, Giles put his glasses back on and leaned over his desk.

"We are all in grave danger."

Xander didn't move. He had heard the words many times before. Hell, he had nightmares about those six little words.

"What's wrong?"

Before Giles could open his mouth to reply, Buffy leaned forward.

"The world is going to end. Do you want to help us find the Holy Grail?"

Xander sat back in his chair and sighed. Damn, the world was going to end...again.

He pressed the intercom button on his phone to contact Lydia.

"Yes, Mr. Harris?"

"Lydia, I'm going on vacation."

There was a long pause on her end; "Sir is something wrong?"

He cracked a smile before saying; "It would seem that unspeakable evil is trying to destroy the earth."

Again, another long pause, then a weary sigh; "I'll have your calls forwarded to you cell phone sir."

Sometimes, it was good to be the boss.

Scene Three: The following afternoon.

It was a Saturday night in New York City. Cabbies were honking. People were yelling. And there was a guy on the sidewalk relieving himself. Willow Rosenberg looked out the window of her small Village apartment and drank in the sights and sounds of the city that never slept.

In a city full of millions of people, she felt even more alone than she had in high school. She hadn't been here long enough to make any friends, but she had yet to meet any people that she could be friends with. To her friendship was the ability to risk your life for another person without a moments thought.

Friends were the people that forgave you after you tried to destroy the world.

"Now, someone else is trying to do the same thing."

Giles had called this morning and told her that he and the gang would be in New York as soon as possible to get her. They were going to Alabama. Her stomach was tied in knots with excitement at the thought of seeing her friends again. Honestly, she had thought that once the Hellmouth had closed they would all go their separate ways.

Giles had given her instructions to get all the information that she could on a woman named Gabrielle Kincaid.

Willow looked at the stack of paper on her bed and picked up said information and read it through for the fifth time.

Gabrielle Christine Kincaid. Twenty-one years old. Completed her Bachelors Degree in Professional Writing at the University of North Alabama. Father died six years ago of a heart attack. Mother was still alive but living in Florida with her sister. One brother, Walker Kincaid twenty-seven. Both brother and sister lived in Florence, Alabama. There was a coven in the area, but Gabrielle was not involved. She was a strictly solitary witch. Willow skimmed the information taking special notice of important facts and figures.

Gabrielle had been a practicing witch since she was fifteen years old. She chose not to delve into the black arts and was very protective of the rituals and practices she did indulge in. She had no friends, no husband, and no boyfriend. She lived in a small two-story home on the out skirts of Florence with her brother. Both of them were very reclusive. Gabrielle was a writer-strictly of the romance variety, and her brother was a musician-strictly instrumental.

Willow had not been able to find any information as to how she had gotten Cerridwen's cauldron, but she was able to find a picture of Gabrielle.

The picture that Willow had found was the one that Gabrielle put on the coverflats of the books that she had published. She was five-foot six with shoulder length curly brown hair. To be honest, the woman looked like a fairy princess. She had a very delicate bone structure, but her body was not frail. In fact, her build could best be described as Rubenesque. She was very curvy, but her body was not her most intriguing feature. Her eyes, well the only way to describe her eyes was to say that they held a supernatural glow. Willow looked at the picture with new interest. Her eyes were the color of sparkling emeralds. They were large and catlike.

To be honest, the woman was a babe.

"I wonder if she has a girlfriend?"

She giggled at her own remark and put the papers next to her bed before climbing under the covers.

Tomorrow was sure to be a long day.

Scene Four: Alabama

"You did what?" Her brother's voice was as loud as a thunder clap as he came barging into the house.

Gabrielle didn't flinch.

"I called the council. The Slayer is coming to find Kala Remeen."

Walker stood to his full six foot four inches and glared at his little sister.

"I told you that I would handle this. The Slayer doesn't need to come here. Gabby, do you realize what you have done? You have put yourself in grave danger. The Slayer doesn't need to come here. She was just fine in her own little world."

"We aren't talking about a little problem Walker. We are talking about the Kala Remeen. Or have you forgotten? Buffy will help us. I am not in any danger."

Walker snorted; "Buffy, what the hell kind of name is that? Little sister, you are in way over your head. Call the council back and tell them that they can keep their British noses out of our business."

"I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

"They are on their way."

"They?"

"Buffy has a group that she works with. Mr. Giles explained it all to me on the phone."

Walker's jaw locked and he picked up a dainty figurine from the fireplace. Gabrielle had had the figurine since she was a child. It was of the Goddess Aphrodite. It had been a gift. Her brother threw back his arm and forcefully threw her belonging toward the wall. Again, Gabrielle didn't even flinch. With a wave of her hand, the figure stopped in mid-air. She walked briskly toward it and plucked it from its frozen position before glaring at her brother.

"Do not think that you can come home and take your frustration out on me Walker Kincaid. I have done the right thing, and whether you like it or not Buffy Summers and her friends will be here tomorrow morning."

"I could stop this." His voice was soft and resigned as he made his final plea.

Gabrielle gave him a warm smile; "Walker, you are mortal. There is no way that you can stop this. I am not sure that Buffy can stop it. All I know is that we have no other choice. I could not live with myself if I let my own fears get in the way of the lives of millions. It wouldn't be right."

Walker stalked toward her his brown eyes aglow with anger; "You are going to risk your lives for people that don't care about you? This isn't a romance novel Gabby. No one gives a damn about your noble intentions. Do you think the Slayer would allow you to live if she knew who and what you really are? Do you think that she is going to embrace you and thank you for your help? Hell no, she and her group of friends are going to hog tie you and send you back to Britain where a bunch of stuffy-scone eaters are going to cut you open to see how you work."

"I am protected. You know that."

He snorted loudly and straddled a nearby chair.

"You are protected from supernatural danger not mortal ones. If the Council gets their hands on you, you are dead. And there is nothing I or anyone else can do for you."

She knew that. Goddess above, she knew that, but this was too important. She couldn't let something like the Kala Remeen loose and not do something. It was already in the atmosphere. It was already infecting the world. It wouldn't be an immediate change. She knew that much. It would start off slow. There would be an escalation in violence, followed by mass murders, until every human being was nothing more than a mass of slobbering hate. What was about to happen would make the Christian myth of hell look like a trip to Disneyland. She couldn't let that happen.

"It doesn't matter. Don't you understand, I can't let this happen. I was put here to protect the Cauldron. I was put here to protect the world from what has been released. We can lie to the world Walker and say that I just happened upon the empty cauldron, but we know better. I failed at the one task She has ever given me. I failed and unless I can stop it my life is forfeit anyway."

"She won't let you die."

Gabrielle smirked at her brother's naiveté; "Oh, She will let me die. I am her Priestess, but you know as well as I that in the grand scheme of things She will let me die to save her people."

Walker shook his head; "You are more than Her damn Priestess. You are Her daughter!"

"I am human. I may have her abilities, but I will live and die like any other mortal. Don't make this any harder on me than it already is. I will help the Slayer, and hopefully we will put the demon back in its prison before it is too late. If not, I will offer my life in exchange for my Mother's children."

"You are a fool."

She smiled sadly; "No big brother. I am going to save the world. Are you going to help me?"

He didn't smile. Instead he looked at her with eyes full of rage; "I will protect you. That was the job I was given, but you have to remember my protection only goes so far. I don't care about the world Gabby."

"What do you care about then?"

Her brother never answered. He simply got up, knocking the chair to the ground, and stormed into the kitchen. Gabrielle frowned as she heard the angry clashing of pots and pans. Her brother didn't understand. He had no idea what it was like to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. She was scared to death of what the Slayer and her friends might do. She wasn't going to tell them who she was- the daughter of a Goddess and a mortal man. If they found out, and she hoped they didn't, she would deal with the problem. But right now, she was going to call her mortal mother. The woman that raised her, held her, and called her daughter. Her mortal mother would never know what was going on. Gabrielle made sure that Walker kept his mouth shut about the Cauldron.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number with shaking hands. Not because she was keeping secrets from the woman that raised her, but because she didn't know if this would be the last time she ever spoke to her.

Scene Five: Midnight.

The smell of blood filled the air like the scent of Honeysuckle on a spring day. He breathed deeply. The end was coming. It was coming and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The Witch and the Slayer could fight until their bodies decayed, but nothing could stop them. He had summoned the Kala Remeen. There would be wars, pillaging, raping. Everything that people feared would now be outside their windows at night waiting for them to fall asleep. Men would dominate again. There would be no more talking. No more women telling their husbands what to do. No more complaints of abuse on talk shows. Hell, there would be no more talk shows.

It was time for the women of the world to learn their place.

That was what he had been promised.

The woman had finally stopped bleeding, and he smiled as he walked barefoot in the sticky fluid. She had been young, only fourteen, but that didn't matter now. She was serving a high purpose. Food for Kala.

He smiled and picked up her corpse. He couldn't see his master, but he knew He was there. Waiting in the shadows. With little ceremony, he threw the girl into the dark and listened as the Kala feasted. Slurping and smacking could be heard, but nothing was ever seen. The Kala did not exist on the mortal plane.

Soon they would rule side by side.

He never understood why his master only wanted the flesh of his victims. Never the blood. Always the flesh. He had never asked, because he feared the Kala would see his questioning as insubordination, so he supplied the food and never asked anything. He just waited silently for the Beast to speak.

"You will kill the Slayer."

It wasn't a suggestion. It was a command. Planted in his brain. It was given to him in his own voice, but he knew it was from his Master.

"What about the Witch?"

He regretted the question as soon as it passed through his lips.

"You will kill the Slayer."

The command was given again along with a shock of pain that started at the base of his skull and ended at the tips of his toes.

"The Slayer won't be alone. She has friends." His information came through gritted teeth. The pain coursed through him like scalding water. It was like swords puncturing his entire body.

Beside his groans of pain, the room was quiet for a long while.

"You will bring forth Amana to take care of the Slayer and her friends."

"You don't wish me to kill the Slayer?"

Blood spilled from his nose at the second question and he doubled over with pain. He knew he should keep his mouth shut, but in the depths of his soul, he knew why he questioned Him. He liked the pain. He liked the way it made him feel. When his body was writhing, everything seemed more acute.

"The Amana does not question me. He will kill them. You will clean up the mess."

With that said, a ripple of pain slashed through him that caused the entire room to spin. Just before everything went black.

Scene Six:

"Where are all the people in overalls?" Xander stepped out of gate 12 at the Birmingham International Airport in Alabama and looked around.

Giles looked confused; "What are you talking about?"

Xander continued to look disappointed. Weaving in and out of the crowd he looked down at Giles and answered; "I want to see overalls and chewing tobacco. You know the real South."

"Xander, how do you know what the real South is all about?" Willow asked the question.

It was so easy to fall into their old routine. It was almost as if they had never spent the summer apart.

"I've seen Hee Haw." As if he explained his reasoning, Xander turned his back on his friends and walked toward the luggage terminal.

Buffy wasn't through with him; "Xander, Hee Haw does not make you an expert on Southern people."

Dawn nodded; "That's right. Buffy and I watched Gone with the Wind last night."

Giles shook his head and smiled. It was odd. He knew that Dawn, Willow, Xander, and Buffy had parents of their own, but they felt like his children too. He had watched them grow and change into the powerful adults that stood before him. They made him angry, and yes they irritated him beyond all measures at times, but in the end, he was proud of each of them.

"You do know that the South has changed a lot since the civil war."

Xander smiled at Giles' statement and replied; "Yeah, they have indoor plumbing now."

"We also have electricity, and we have learned to successfully master the English language."

The Scooby Gang turned simultaneously to see the woman they had only seen in the picture Willow had passed around on the plane.

Xander felt his chest tighten as he stared at her. He had the same feeling from the first moment that he seen her photograph. She was the woman he had been seeing in his dreams, but now she was in the flesh- and wearing a pair of faded jeans and a Tim McGraw t-shirt.

Giles was the first to extend his hand to the woman.

"Ms. Kincaid, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The woman smiled and shook his hand heartily. Xander continued to stare at her. He was dumbfounded. Even from where he stood, he could smell the faint scent of lavender. He knew she would carry the scent even after taking a bath. He didn't know how, but he just knew it. He also knew that she loved roses and that her favorite color was purple. He knew that her favorite time of day was early morning, and that she loved to laugh.

It was almost as if she were a part of him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet you at the terminal."

"That's quite all right. Is the cauldron safe Ms. Kincaid?"

Gabrielle looked from side to side at Giles' question. It was almost as if she were afraid that someone would over hear them.

"Yes, it is safe."

"Good. Ms. Kincaid, I would like to introduce you to Buffy Summers."

Buffy stepped forward and extended her hand, and in her usual weary manner she sized Gabrielle up. Buffy always did that when she met someone new. She would look them up and down as if she were trying to weigh the possibility of being able to take them if a fight were to occur.

"It's very nice to meet you Buffy."

Buffy placed a friendly smile on her face and shook hands with the woman.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. These are my friends. Of course you know Giles. This is Willow, my sister Dawn, and..."

Xander stepped forward when he knew that it was his turn to make an introduction. He extended his hand, but the oddest thing happened. When her green eyes finally met his, her face went white with shock, and she passed out in his arms.

Xander frowned; "I didn't mean to do it...I swear."

Buffy shook her head; "What just happened here?"

"Who in the hell are you, and why are you mauling my sister?"

They all looked up to see a very tall and very broad shouldered man with dark blond hair and black eyes. He was eyeing them all with malicious intent.

Buffy was the one to speak first; "We were just talking to her and she passed out. I'm Buffy Summers..."

The man gave them a brisk nod and took Gabrielle from Xander.

"What did you do to my sister?"

Giles frowned at the young man's abrasive demeanor; "We didn't do anything. We were simply making introductions and she passed out. I suggest we take her outside. Perhaps the crush in here made her a bit short of breath."

They retrieved their luggage and walked outside into the cool wind of a southern autumn day.

"Is she going to be all right?" Xander stared at Gabrielle's sleeping figure with open concern.

Her brother countered with a harsh frown; "I'll worry about my sister."

"Yes, well, don't you think it would be wise to take us to our hotel now? I am sure that you are eager to get Gabrielle home." Giles put his luggage on the concrete walkway and also inspected Gabrielle.

"Gabby wants you to stay with us." The man's voice was staccato and irritated as he spoke.

Giles cleared his throat and made eye contact with Gabrielle's brother.

"Walker, isn't it?"

The man nodded.

"We wouldn't want to impose. I am sure that we can easily find accommodations that would allow us to help you and your sister without forcing ourselves into your home."

Walker was about to tell Giles that he wished he and everyone else that had come from Sunnydale would get the hell back on a plane and leave him and his sister alone. His plan never came to fruition, because Gabrielle opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I must have gotten a little light headed."

Xander stepped in between Giles and Walker as Gabrielle put her feet firmly on the ground.

"How are you feeling?"

Her eyes met his once again and her cheek flushed a deep shade of crimson.

"I am a bit woozy, but it is nothing that a good nap won't fix. Are you all ready to go?"

Walker growled, and walked toward his black SUV. They all silently got in and buckled up. Dawn, who hated long silences, was the first to speak as they pulled onto the interstate.

"What do you know about the Kala Remeen?"

Gabrielle turned around in her seat and gave Dawn a warm smile; "Aren't you a little young for demon hunting?"

Buffy shrugged; "We start early in Sunnydale."

Giles leaned forward to pick up his satchel and handed Gabrielle the book that he had read to Buffy in Europe.

"Dawn does raise an interesting question. The only information I was able to find on the Kala was in the Norisha Text, and I have to admit that what I found was sketchy at best. We know that the Kala made The First, but what we don't know is what the Kala truly is."

Gabrielle took the book and read what little information Giles was able to procure. When she was finished, she gave the book back to Giles and said:

"The Norisha Text is right. The Kala Remeen created The First to do its bidding. The Kala doesn't like to get its hands dirty. It has many disciples. All of them are equally dangerous. The Kala commands the disciples. He tells them who to kill and how to kill. The most powerful of his disciples is the Judan. The Judan is the one who brings food to the Kala. The demon thrives on the flesh of young females. He only eats the flesh, so the Judan is the lackey that cleans up the blood and bones once the Kala is fed. I think the Judan is the one that freed Kala."

Buffy, who was sitting next to Giles, drew Gabrielle's attention when she leaned forward and said; "What does the Judan look like? I'm thinking we find the guy torture the information out of him and take the Kala head on."

Walker snickered at Buffy's statement. His behavior earned him a glare from his baby sister.

Gabrielle shook her head; "I wish it were that simple Buffy. No one knows who the Judan is. Every time the Kala is released the position is filled by someone different. The title of Judan is given to the person, always male, who releases the Kala from his prison."

"How did the Kala get put in Cerridwen's Cauldron in the first place?" Buffy's voice was tinged with disappointment, because her only hope at finishing this job quickly had just been dashed.

"Cerridwen's Cauldron has been surrounded by myth and speculation since it was created by the Goddess Herself." Gabrielle's voice was clear and matter of fact as she spoke, "Most people think that the Gods and Goddesses of long ago are nothing but bed time stories made up by delusional cultures. Truthfully, they did exist, but not in the capacity in which history wishes to portray them. In Cerridwen's case, she was a Goddess that was, and to some point still is, worshipped in Wales, Scotland, and some parts of England. Most people know the story of her hideous son, but that is only a legend. A legend to hide the true purpose of the Cauldron. Long ago, the Kala Remeen was released in Scotland. It started small clan wars and murders. To everyone who lived at that time the brutality seemed like nothing more than human evil at its worst. One year passed, then two and the slaughter continued to spread. Grown men, good men, were found outside of their villages and homes covered in blood and foaming at the mouth. The Kala wreaked havoc until two clans in Scotland were completely annihilated. Cerridwen saw this. Then she was nothing more than a mortal woman. A soothsayer for a Scottish clan. She lost two of her sons to the Kala. The very children that she nursed at her breast killed each other in cold blood. She goaded the Kala. Taunted it. No one beside Cerridwen herself can say how she got the demon into the Cauldron, but she did. The Powers That Be were pleased with her work, and made her the Goddess Cerridwen. The Cauldron has been in safe keeping for the past thousand years. It is given to her Priestess for safe keeping. I don't know how it was released recently, but I do know that it has to be stopped."

Xander, who had been quiet for a long time found his voice and asked; "How long has it been out this time?"

"Only two weeks. But already there are news reports of missing girls and an increase in violent crimes. The Kala will only grow stronger. It feeds off the dark desires of humanity. Everyone, no matter how good, has dark thoughts. The Kala brings those thoughts to the surface. It has to be stopped."

Giles sighed; "We will do what we can."

Scene Seven: Four Hours Later

It was just passed noon when Xander Harris stepped foot into Gabrielle's home. It was spotless and warm. Pictures of friends and family adorned the walls and the entire house smelled like fresh bread. When he was little, he had always dreamed of living in a house just like this. A home where there were no drunken brawls or holiday fights. He walked into the living room barely hearing Walker say that he was going out, and Gabrielle showing everyone where they would be sleeping. The living room was equipped with a huge burgundy couch, a television, and enough books and DVD's to entertain a small army. He walked through the living room and turned right. There he found Gabrielle's office. Xander knew that he should turn around and get back to the others, but for some reason he just knew that Gabrielle would have no problem at all with him being in here.

He stepped fully in the room and smiled when he saw a large stack of stuffed animals in the corner. He could just imagine Gabrielle sitting at her desk, bathed in moonlight, writing her next novel.

It was odd, this connection he felt with a woman he didn't even know. What was more odd was the fact that Xander knew he wanted to be a part of her life.

"I was wondering where you had gone off to."

He turned around to find her standing in the doorway smiling at him. He was right. She didn't seem to mind at all that he was snooping around her house.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to look around. You don't mind do you?"

She shook her head and stepped all the way into the room. Xander held his breath as she walked closer to him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Xander could only nod. He felt like he was sixteen again. His palms were sweaty and his throat was dry, and for the life of him, he couldn't raise his head up and look into her eyes.

"Have we met before?" Her voice was low and a bit shaky as well.

"I don't think we have."

She let out a soft rush of air; "You are probably going to think I am crazy, but when I saw you at the airport, well, I thought that..."

Xander watched her look down at the floor and shake her head.

"You thought what?"

Gabrielle grinned shyly; "I thought you were the man of my dreams."

Xander didn't know what to say. His usual sarcasm had left the building.

"What do you mean?"

Her cheeks turned a fiery shade of red; "I can't believe that I am telling you this. I am usually not this straight forward. Please don't think I am crazy, but for the past two months I have been having very vivid dreams...about you."

Xander was about to tell her that he had had some pretty funky dreams, but she shook her head when he opened his mouth.

"You know what? Forget that I said anything. Forget that we are having this conversation. I am acting like a lunatic. Forget it okay?"

She didn't give him any time to answer. Instead, she made an about face and left the room.

An apocalypse was fast approaching. They were about to face a demon that may not have a weakness. He did not have time to worry about a woman and her dreams.

But, when she turned to flee the room, he couldn't help the little smile that formed on his lips.

Scene Eight:

Gabrielle rounded the corner mumbling one word over and over again.

"Stupid, Stupid, Stupid."

He probably thought she was a crazy woman. She should have kept her mouth shut about the dreams. Xander Harris didn't need to know that she had been having sexually explicit dreams about him. Well, they weren't all sexually explicit, but those were the ones that she remembered with definite clarity.

When she had met his eye in the airport, all those dreams had come rushing back to her. The room had spun around and around and like a ninny she passed out into his arms.

Never mind that her dream lover made flesh had been gallant enough to catch her. She didn't have time to make moon eyes at the Slayer's friend. She was going to help them put the Kala back in the Cauldron and that was that. Once this was all over with, she would let Xander Harris go without a backward glance. It was the right thing to do.

She wasn't in the position to become romantically involved with anyone. No matter how dashing he looked with his eye patch.

"I'm losing my mind." She shook her head once again at her odd thoughts and walked through the kitchen and onto the back porch.

Gabrielle had thought that she would never meet a man that would spark her interest the way Xander did. She didn't know him and really that didn't matter. Her mortal mother had always told her to pay attention to her dreams. She had said that they were very important and could reveal the future if she paid close enough attention. Did that mean that she and Xander were meant to be together? Or was it all just a fluke?

She dreaded the moment when she had to meet his face again. No doubt the poor man thought she was some wacky spinster who sought to lure him into her bed with well placed lies.

Hell, now she was even sounding devious to herself.

She rubbed her hands up and down her arms to ward off the chill and decided that it was better to face her lunacy head on. She would go inside, show Xander where he was supposed to sleep, and get the hell away from him before she said anything else that would label her as "the crazy chick."

With a new found resolve, she turned around and found herself standing face to face with a seven foot purple demon wearing Armani.

"Hello Gorgeous." His words were smooth and cultured. Gabrielle didn't know what to say or what to do. This was her first time seeing a demon up close, until this moment they had been neatly packed away on wood carvings and the pictures in her books.

The creature smiled at her before placing one clawed hand over her throat. He didn't squeeze hard enough to cut off her air supply. No, this was an intimidation tactic.

"Yes, you will do nicely."

Do nicely as what? A head mounted in your living room? Gabrielle's thoughts were coming frantically as she stared into its odd silver eyes.

The creature laughed; "No my dear. You are not going to be mounted. At least not yet. You are going to lead the Slayer and her friends to me."

From lunatic to bait in less than fifteen minutes, she was sure that Xander was going to hate her for this.

Scene Nine:

Willow was the one to find the note. She had searched the house trying to find Gabrielle. She needed to know if the woman had any mugwort. The house had been empty, so Willow's search had brought her to the back porch. She found the space empty except for a neatly folded piece of parchment paper. Curious, she picked up the parchment and broke the wax seal to find these words:

I have the witch. Unless you want her to die, have the Slayer meet me

at McFarland Park tonight at eight o'clock.

Amana

Willow sighed. Clandestine meetings with demons. Potential friends in danger. If she didn't know any better she could almost believe that she was back in Sunnydale.

"Different town, same damn story." With that said she took the piece of paper with her and went in search of Buffy.

She found the Slayer and her sister sitting in the living room. Buffy was perusing Gabrielle's DVD collection while Dawn was on the couch reading a book.

"Buff, we have a problem."

Buffy's eyes never left the rows of movies, "Yes we do. Gabrielle has every romantic comedy ever made, but no horror."

"That's not what I am talking about."

Dawn, sensing that Willow's message was urgent, looked up from her book.

"What's wrong Will?"

"Gabrielle has been kidnapped."

"By what?"

Willow shrugged; "The note says that you are to meet him at McFarland Park tonight at eight o'clock. Whatever it is that took her was nice enough to sign the note. He calls himself 'Amana.'"

Buffy sighed loudly; "Okay guys. You know the drill. Get Giles and Xander. See if you can find Gabrielle's anal retentive brother. He might be able to help us. We will meet here in thirty minutes. Dawn and I will go into research mode. Gabrielle has enough books on witchcraft and demonology to hold us over."

Willow nodded; "You got it Buff."

Dawn marked her place in her book and placed it on the coffee table; "Seems like old times already."

Buffy grimaced; "I am simply overflowing with joy."

Scene Ten: Forty Minutes later

Willow came back into the house frowning.

"Sorry, I wasn't able to find Walker anywhere."

Buffy shrugged; "I guess we'll just have to get his sister without him."

Xander, who was sitting behind a massive pile of books, peered over the top of his stack and looked and Buffy; "Ummm, Buff. I know that I haven't done this whole research thing in a long time, but this is a trap right?"

Buffy nodded; "It always is Xand. This Amana creep took Gabrielle in an effort to lure me into some dark park and try to kill me. I've got to say one thing for the demons of this town- they really need to brush up on original tactics."

Giles cleared his throat: "What do we know about Amana?"

Oddly enough, Xander answered; "He is a Rigmore demon. Used by other higher level demons on simple search and destroy missions. Even though the Rigmore's are usually used as assassins they are a very cultured race. The only weakness that they have is their hearts, but none of the books say where their hearts are at."

Dawn gave him an incredulous look; "You learned all that in forty minutes?"

He looked uncomfortable and shifted in his seat; "I am anxious to get Gabrielle back. She is the only one who knows where the Cauldron is, and she has not shown it to us."

Buffy stood up and stretched before pacing an accurate line between the t.v. and the couch.

"Okay, so here is what we know so far. Gabrielle is being held by a Rigmore demon who goes by the name of Amana. I'm willing to bet my favorite pair of Prada's that Amana is an agent of the Kala. Gabrielle is being held in order to bring me to the park so Amana can kick my ass and kill me- or at least try. His only weakness is his heart. I'm used to stabbing things in the heart, so find out where his heart is at and the battle is over. Am I correct?"

Giles nodded; "That's about it."

Scene Eleven: 7:45

The ropes were chafing her wrists as she struggled against them. Amana, as he called himself, was holding her captive in the middle of a public park. He said that they were both cloaked by those that passed them, and judging by the oblivious nature of couples and children, she would have to say that he was telling her the truth.

Surely, if someone saw a young woman tied to a tree and guarded by a large purple demon with excellent fashion sense they would go and get help.

Right?

To be honest, Gabrielle was beginning to wonder that if they weren't cloaked if anyone would help her at all.

"There is no need to struggle against those ropes. You can't untie them."

She knew that. Hell, she had used a few spells only to have them back fire and tighten the ropes around her wrists instead of loosening them.

This sucks. She thought while she watched a young couple stroll by holding hands. A wave of envy shot through her at the sight of them. Gabrielle couldn't help but be envious of anyone who didn't see what she saw when she looked at the world.

She wished sometimes that she had been born a normal girl. A girl who didn't believe in magick.

The demon laughed; "But you weren't now were you? Don't worry my dear girl. It will all be over soon. I will kill the Slayer. Then I will kill her friends. Then I will kill you."

"Oh, that makes me feel much better. You know, if the demon thing doesn't work out, you should really think about becoming a psychiatrist."

He chuckled at her ill timed sarcasm. He really was an odd sort.

Admittedly, he was still a demon, and from what she had read over the years demons weren't known for the sparkling rationale.

For the eighth time in the past hour, Amana put his hand over his crotch and Gabrielle raised an eyebrow.

She knew that men often had a preoccupation with their package, but this guy was bordering on obsession. He kept his hands on his...well, he kept his hand on his "hammer" and stared out at the Tennessee river.

"Who sent you?" Gabrielle already knew the answer to that question, but considering the fact that she probably had about thirteen minutes left to live, she wanted a little small talk to pass the time.

"You know that."

She nodded; "The Kala."

"He can not be destroyed. He is evil unadulterated." Amana waved his hand toward the River, "Soon this river will flow red with blood. There is nothing that you or anyone else can do."

"If he can not be destroyed then why is he so worried about the Slayer?"

Amana laughed; "He is not worried about the Slayer. The Kala knows that when the time comes the Slayer can not defeat him."

"Then why kill her? Why not just wait until the world ends and let her go down with the ship?"

"The Slayer protects you. If she is gone, there is no one left to watch over you."

Gabrielle frowned. What in the hell was this Barney wanna be talking about?

"Barney? Who is Barney?"

"Quit reading my thoughts."

He chuckled; "Your thoughts are easy to read. You do not whisper like everyone else. You shout. That is why The Kala wants you gone. You are..."

The demon stopped and looked at her strangely.

"I am what?"

Amana walked toward her then. It was the practiced walk of a killer. Slow and measured. She almost expected him to slice her throat or hit her. Instead, he ran his scaly hand down the side of her cheek.

"You and The Champion are the keys to his destruction. We have to keep you apart."

Gabrielle fought between her interest in knowing who The Champion was and her revulsion at having his skin touching hers.

"Who is The Champion?"

Amana grinned revealing a mouth full of sharp, blood stained teeth.

"Now, you wouldn't be pumping me for information would you my sweet? I'm not as stupid as I act mon cher."

"Then are you as stupid as you look, because from where I am standing..."

Amana turned around at the sound of Buffy's voice and smiled; "Ah, the Slayer."

"Ah, the ugly demon. Now, do me a favor and let Gabrielle go. When I kill you, it would be a shame to ruin her outfit."

Amana turned back and winked at Gabrielle; "Your friend is confident."

Buffy picked up a nearby limb and hit the demon upside the head with it. Needless to say, this effectively diverted his attention.

Xander walked up beside Gabrielle and put his finger over his mouth in an effort to tell her to keep quiet. She nodded.

Willow worked quickly and efficiently at undoing the ropes around Gabrielle's wrists. Gabrielle rubbed the aching area when the ropes fell away.

Impulsively, Xander took one of her hands and ran his fingers gently over the reddened areas. The pain disappeared from the places his fingers touched. Sound faded away as he smiled at her. His one good eye reflected his concern, and she smiled at him in a silent message that she was okay.

"The Kala will feast on your flesh tonight Slayer."

Gabrielle and Xander looked up at the sound of Amana's voice. The demon was standing dangerously close to them. Buffy threw a hard punch against his purple jaw causing him to stumble. Xander grabbed Gabrielle around the waist and moved her out of harms way.

Willow smiled in a reassuring manner at Gabrielle.

"Are you all right?"

Gabrielle nodded and noticed that Xander still hadn't released her.

"You wouldn't by any chance know where Amana's heart is would ya?" Xander asked the question against the side of her face.

Gabrielle found his nearness comforting and leaned into his warmth.

"I don't know." She looked around and noticed that two crucial members of Buffy's team were missing. "Where are Giles and Dawn?"

Still backing up from the battle Xander whispered into her ear; "They are back at your place trying to find out where his heart is at."

"And Walker?"

Willow frowned. She was watching Buffy waiting for the right time to throw up the protection spell she had been working on. "I couldn't find him."

Gabrielle was about to say something, but the only thing that came from her lips was a gasp as she watched the Amana throw Buffy against the tree that she had once been tied to. Buffy struggled to get up, but Amana wasn't allowing it. He took both of his hands and slapped both of her ears with violent precision.

The battle raged between the two. Gabrielle had seen her share of fighting on television and movies, but it was nothing compared to hearing bones crack in the real world. Amana was matching The Slayer's every move. Buffy was tiring quickly.

Gabrielle took a moment to focus on the Amana individually. He was a skilled fighter, but she couldn't help but notice that he never left his lower body unprotected. Every time Buffy tried to kick his feet or anything else below his torso he became more vicious.

Maybe he was trying to protect that very part of him that he had been manhandling earlier. It would seem that men, no matter what species, were very protective of their male parts. It was almost as if that was the very center of his...

Gabrielle gasped. No. It was impossible. Right? No one could have their heart in their...

"Buffy! Kick him in the balls!"

Willow looked at Gabrielle with wide eyes. Xander choked on air, and Buffy continued fighting for her life.

The demon had heard her though. He pushed Buffy against the tree one more time and began walking toward Gabrielle with sinister intention.

Gabrielle looked around for something to use. Xander was dragging her away quickly.

"Xander stop. I know where the heart is."

Willow finally caught on; "You mean it is in his..."

"Yep."

She knew that neither Willow or Xander had the physical strength to shatter the demon's heart. Gabrielle also knew that she couldn't kill the thing with brute strength either. Buffy was still incapacitated at the bass of the tree. What was she going to do?

Then she smiled. She remembered how she had stopped the Aphrodite statue that Walker had tried to shatter. The demon had strong magick, but maybe, just maybe hers was stronger. She waved her hand in the air, and Amana stopped in mid stride.

Thank the Goddess.

"Xander, let go of me."

"Hell no."

Willow looked at her long time friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Xand, let her go."

He released her waist but never left her side as she walked up to the purple demon.

Amana's eyes reflected his hatred as they approached. Gabrielle's entire body was shaking. She hoped she was right.

"Now, what are you going to do?" Xander asked when they were close enough to the demon to smell his sulfuric stench.

"I am going to do something that a refined Southern woman should never do."

Xander watched with wide eyes as Gabrielle curled her left leg and rammed her knee with lethal accuracy right into the demon's groin.

Amana's eyes grew large and he let out one last howl of pain before he disappeared in one bright flash of golden light.

"Who taught you to fight dirty?" Xander asked her with a lopsided smile as he, Gabrielle, and Willow went to check on Buffy.

"You can't have a brother and not know how to kick a man in the family jewels."

Xander decided then and there that he was in love.

Scene Twelve:

Giles listened intently as Gabrielle repeated her conversation with Amana.

"He said that you and The Champion were the key to Kala's destruction?"

Gabrielle nodded; "I wasn't able to find out who The Champion was."

Buffy chuckled suddenly and moved her bruised body next to Giles at the kitchen table; "I still can't believe that Amana's heart was in his...you know."

Walker, who had finally joined them, frowned; "This may be funny to all of you, but my sister could have been killed. Gabrielle, you should have never gotten that close to a demon. What if he hadn't held?"

Gabrielle glared at her sibling; "It doesn't matter Walker. He did hold. I was able to..."

Walker shook his head; "You were able to save yourself while the Slayer was out cold, her witch friend looked on with wide eyes, and the boy stood right next to you."

"I wouldn't have let anything happen to her." Xander's voice was tight with vehemence.

Walker stood up and violently pushed his chair toward the table; "You all just remember one damn thing. I am Gabrielle's family. The rest of you mean nothing to me. I should have been contacted as soon as the note was found."

Willow smirked; "We tried to find you oh bossy one, but you were no where to be found."

"You obviously didn't look hard enough. My sister is MY responsibility. The rest of you stay away from her."

He stomped out of the room then, but he could have sworn that he heard the boy say; "We'll just see about that." as Walker walked upstairs to his bedroom.

Scene Thirteen: Midnight

"The Amana failed." The sound of the Kala's voice resonated in his brain.

"Yes master."

The Kala was disappointed. He knew that he would be the one to pay the price. After all, it is hard to take one's anger out on a demon that was already dead.

"This can not happen again."

"I know master."

"We underestimated the Witch."

"Yes Master."

The Kala growled in frustration. He stood before the shadows that he knew his master inhabited and got to his knees.

"I will pay Amana's debt to you in my flesh."

The Kala laughed. It was a deeply maniacal sound that he relished.

"Sometimes I think you enjoy the pain far too much Judan."

His master was wrong he didn't enjoy the pain.

He lived for it.


	2. Chapter 2

18

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Season 8 (As written by Crystal)

Episode Two: The Ghost of Girlfriend Past

Scene One:

"A Vengeance Demon? How long were they together?" Gabrielle asked over coffee one morning.

The kitchen was filled with sunlight and Gabrielle, Buffy, Willow and Dawn were sitting at the table. They were restless from waiting on the Kala Rameen, so they decided to do what women do best when they have to wait for anything: they were gossiping.

Buffy answered; "About three and a half years."

Gabrielle frowned; "So they were serious?"

Dawn put another marshmallow into her hot chocolate and plopped down on a nearby chair; "Yeah, they were real serious until he left her at the altar on the day of their wedding."

"Where is she now?"

Willow answered this time. Her voice was cold and matter-of-fact, but the sadness was evident in her eyes; "She's dead. Died when the Hellmouth was closed. Xander doesn't want to admit it, but he hasn't come to terms with her death yet."

Gabrielle nodded and forced a smile on her face. She didn't have the right to be jealous.

Dawn giggled; "But nothing can beat the time he had a crush on the Preying Mantis."

That effectively changed her jealousy into surprise.

"A Preying Mantis?" She choked a bit on her coffee when those words left her lips.

Buffy laughed at Gabrielle's expression. "First there was the Preying Mantis, and then there was the Mummy girl, then Cordelia, followed by a tawdry one night stand with Faith, ending with Anya."

Over the past week, Gabrielle had come to know a lot about the people that were staying with her. She knew about Angel and Riley. She knew about Faith. Gabrielle knew more about Buffy and her friends than she knew about her own brother.

"I am almost afraid to ask this, but who was the worst?"

Buffy, Dawn, and Willow spoke at once, "Cordelia."

"Why are we talking about Cordy?"

Xander came walking in. His hair sticking up in every direction. Gabrielle watched him with interested eyes. She hid the fact that she was watching him by pulling her hair in front of her face.

Willow saw her nonetheless.

Buffy, who was blissfully ignorant of all the staring and such, grinned at her friend.

"We were talking about your love life."

Xander chuckled and poured a cup of coffee in a cup with Gabrielle's brother's name on it.

"Isn't it a bit early for horror stories?"

Willow, still looking at Gabrielle, smiled a bit.

"So, Gabrielle, we have told you everything about Xander, but we failed to ask about your sordid history."

Gabrielle traced her pointer finger along the rim of her coffee cup. "There is not much to tell. The one and only date I have ever been on was when I was sixteen. He was a nice guy that I found to be very cute, but he only wanted one thing."

Xander took a long sip of coffee; "Your ATM number?"

Gabrielle laughed and the sound made Xander smile.

"No. He wanted a little bit of...well..."

Her face turned an even brighter shade of red and her lips couldn't form the words.

Buffy provided the words for her. "He wanted to get in your pants huh?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Walker showed up when the guy got a bit rough."

"What did he do?" Xander asked.

Gabrielle shrugged. "He stood at the window of the car and told me that I had gotten myself into a bad situation and it was my responsibility to get myself out of it."

Xander growled. He actually growled. Everyone but Gabrielle looked at him in interest.

Dawn, still looking at Xander with a raised eyebrow asked; "So what did you do?"

Gabrielle smiled; "The same thing I did to Amana."

Buffy laughed. It was something that she had been doing a lot. It was nice to be part of a world that wasn't Sunnydale-centered.

"Ah, when in doubt go down south."

Xander winced and the women laughed.

Willow, who was ever trying to make her friends happy, decided to ask Gabrielle a question that could possibly help Xander.

She leaned forward and in a loud voice said; "Testicles aside, Gabrielle what would be your description of the perfect man?"

If Gabrielle found her question odd, she didn't let it show. Instead, she took another sip of her coffee and took a moment to contemplate her answer. Willow noticed that at that question Xander's ears perked up and he moved from his spot next to the sink to sit next to Gabrielle.

The woman blushed.

"Come on Gabby. Inquiring minds want to know." Xander made the words sound as teasing as possible, but truthfully, he was near to bursting with anticipation.

Gabrielle sighed before saying; "There is no such things as a perfect man. I don't want perfect. I want someone that can argue with me with as much passion as he uses when he holds me. I want someone who makes me laugh and whisper things in my ear that make me want to cry..."

She was about to say more, but her brother came stumbling into the kitchen; "What you need is a little dose of reality little sister. God, I get so tired of hearing you whine about romance.'

Xander squelched the urge to get up and pummel her barbaric brother and turned to her with a tender smile; "I think it's nice that you want those things."

Willow nodded. She had to admit she felt sorry for her fellow Wiccan sister. Her brother was a real piece of work.

"Come on Dawnie. Time for you to go to school." She made the statement to avert Walker Kincaid and his oversize ego away from Gabrielle.

Dawn groaned dramatically; "You know this is really getting old. Every time the world is about to end I have to do homework."

Xander chuckled; "Life is tough Dawnie."

Buffy shook her head as she led her sister from the room. Thankfully, Walker was right behind the two because he had band practice in less than an hour and judging by the looks of him he really needed to shower.

Willow sighed with relief when Walker and his testosterone had gone away.

"Why do you let him talk to you like that?"

Gabrielle looked at Willow and smiled; "Walker doesn't mean anything by it. He is just a little upset with me right now."

Xander wanted to tell her that Walker must have been upset since he came out of the womb, but he refrained from doing so. He knew that it would not be wise to malign Walker in front of Gabrielle.

Willow on the other hand was intrigued and asked; "Why is he upset with you?"

Gabrielle shifted uncomfortably in her chair and took a long sip of her luke warm coffee before answering.

"I don't want either of you to think badly of him, but he is mad at me because I asked the council for help. He seems to think that he is the only that can do anything for me."

"When he is not being an utter bastard to you." The words were out of Xander's mouth before he could stop them.

Willow looked at her friend with a shocked expression. It was not like Xander to be so openly verbal about his dislike for someone. Well, except for Angel and Spike, he had always been very open about his hatred for them both, and it would seem that Walker now fell into the same category. Interesting.

Gabrielle sighed loudly and looked at Xander with pleading eyes; "You just don't understand Walker. He has had a hard life. Believe it or not, it isn't very easy being my brother. He has had to deal with things that they two of you can't imagine. I know he snaps at me a lot, but I assure you that I am far from perfect."

"You look pretty damn close to it from where I am sitting." This time even Xander looked shocked at his words. Yes, he had been thinking them, but he was unaware that his brain would some how link up with his mouth and make him say something stupid. Gabrielle didn't seem to think it was stupid. In fact, she placed her warm hand over his and gave it a gently squeeze.

"Thank you." Her voice was gently and tinged with surprise when she spoke.

"You are most welcome."

Willow watched the two of them with new eyes. Xander wasn't much of a ladies' man. Most of the time it was his sarcastic wit that got him noticed. This time something was different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was definitely not of the norm here. She knew that he hadn't felt like himself for the past few months. When he had called her in New York, he had sounded lost and lonely. She knew why. He hadn't come to terms with the loss of Anya or the loss of his eye.

She couldn't help but wish that there was a way to make him happy again.

Scene Two:

Xander lifted the commode lid and gave the inside a dubious look. He couldn't believe that he was doing this.

Well, yes he could.

All it had taken was for Gabrielle to look at him with those green eyes of hers and say that she needed to call a plumber.

The toilet was clogged.

He had volunteered to unclog it.

He was a man. Men did these kinds of things. He just wished that Gabrielle had been under a more sanitary kind of distress.

He chuckled to himself and wielded the plunger with mock expertise.

"Alas fair maiden, I will save you from the unyielding torment of a clogged crapper."

_Xander._

He dropped the plunger and looked around Gabrielle's bathroom. He felt another presence with him. The only thing that bothered him was that he couldn't exactly see the other presence. Therefore, it meant that he was in the bathroom with something otherworldly.

_Xander._

He frowned and looked inside the toilet.

"I hope whoever is talking isn't talking from the sewer, because I'll do a lot of things, but I draw the line at conversing with Crappy McCrap the local toilet gnome."

_Don't be ridiculous Xander._

No. It couldn't be. Not here. She was gone.

"Anya?" As manly as he claimed to be his voice cracked a bit when he whispered her name.

He heard a soft annoyed sigh. Anya had often made that very sound when he would do something that got on her nerves.

_Yes, it's me. Unless you have some other former fiancée haunting you. Just in case you can't tell I am being thoroughly sarcastic Harris._

He smiled. Yep. It was Anya all right.

"Anya, not that I am complaining or anything, but what your doing here?"

_I want to be human again._

"An, that's impossible. You're dead."

_Thank you Captain Obvious. I am well aware of the fact. I want you to get Buffy and Willow and bring me back._

"Anya..."

_Don't you "Anya" me Harris. You did it for Buffy now do it for me. I miss being human. I miss eating, having intercourse, and I really miss my money. It sucks being dead Xander. Dead people have no concept of the exchange of goods for money._

"Anya you don't understand. I don't know if we could do anything like that here. On the Hellmouth things like that were possible, but we are not in Sunnydale anymore."

_I know that. I also know that you are here to put the lid on the Kala Rameen, but what I don't understand is why you are all in Alabama._

"The Keeper of the Cauldron brought us here. She needed our help."

_I need your help now Xander._

The sound of her voice washed over him. He had to admit that he had thought about Anya a lot over the past few months. Yes, he had told himself over and over again that he was over her. But the truth was he wasn't really sure. When someone is dead, you try to get over them anyway you can, but when the dead visiting you in someone's bathroom...well...a guy might have a tendency to rethink his position.

"I'll see what I can do."

_Hurry._

He nodded and went to search for Buffy. She would know what to do.

Scene Three:

"Buffy, something happened to me in the bathroom."

Buffy looked up from reading one of Gabrielle's novels and raised an eyebrow.

"I am happy for you Xander, but as much as I love you, hearing about your 'me' time is not what I can fun."

His mouth kicked up into an amused grin.

"That is not what I am talking about. Anya. She was in the bathroom."

"Excuse me?"

Giles sauntered in with a cup of tea in his hand and smiled at Buffy and Xander.

Buffy turned to her Watcher and frowned.

"Xander says that Anya appeared to him in the bathroom."

Giles promptly choked on his tea; "Good Lord. You could at least give me a bit of warning before you go spouting such things."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Giles, I hate to interrupt international tea and crumpet time, but I think we need to hear this."

So Xander told them word for word what had happened to him upstairs.

Giles was flabbergasted. "So your say she wants us to resurrect her?"

Xander nodded; "Is it possible Giles? Could we bring her back?"

"Of course it is possible. We found out as much when Buffy was brought back, but we have to be considerate of the ramifications. What if Anya brings something horrible into this reality with her? We don't exactly know which dimension she is in."

Buffy turned to Xander and took his hand; "I know how much you want this Xand, but we can't go in guns a blazin."

"Are you sure it was Anya?"

Xander nodded and looked at Giles.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life. It was Anya."

"Are you sure Xander? Sometimes our emotions have a way of playing tricks on us."

_I am not playing a trick you tweed wearing prig. I am Anyanka._

They all visibly jumped at the sound of the voice.

"Anya?" Buffy looked as shocked as Xander had when he had initially heard the voice.

_Yes it's me. Now grab Willow and work some mojo._

Forcing himself to calm down, Giles looked around the room trying to find a point of reference in which to speak to. Finding none, he sighed and spoke; "Anya you above anyone should know that working with this type of magick takes time. We simply can't risk the repercussions of what might happen."

_Do you know what you can do with your repercussions Rupert? I am tired of being dead. I died saving the world, so I think that gets me one out of jail free card._

"Be that as it may, we all must think on this. Bringing someone back from the dead is a serious affair."

_I hear what you are saying, but I also hear what you are NOT saying. I hear the part where you are thinking; "Oh let's leave the ex-vengeance demon floating in some unknown abyss. She is not as important as our darling Buffy."_

Annoyed, Giles took his glasses off and began to clean the lenses furiously.

Buffy sighed; "Anya, that is not what we are thinking and you know it. Willow is doing so well. We can't ask her to delve into the dark side again."

_If you were dead Buffy, Giles and Xander wouldn't give Willow and option. They would say; "Do it. The world needs Buffy." I don't give a rat's ass how well Willow is doing. Get me out of this place. NOW!"_

Xander had to admit that he was not pleased with the way Anya was speaking to Buffy and Giles. Deep down, he knew that she was being mean because she didn't want to be dead any longer, but still, there was something about this entire affair that was beginning to bother him.

"I can help. That is if you will let me."

Xander's heart fell when he followed the sound of that voice and found himself looking into Gabrielle's green eyes.

Gabrielle bit her bottom lip and stepped fully into the room. She hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation. She had only been listening long enough to know that Anya, Xander's ex-girlfriend, wanted to be brought back from the dead, and from the look on Xander's face, he wanted the same thing as well.

It broke her heart to know that Xander was hurting.

Giles stood and walked toward her.

"Gabrielle, as much as we appreciate the sentiment, I think we still need to think about this for a moment or so. I am sure that you have never successfully brought someone back from the dead before."

"No sir. I haven't."

Not used to such formality, Giles smiled down at the slip of a girl standing before him.

"It is a very dangerous endeavor Gabrielle."

"I understand that. I only wanted to help Xander and Anya."

"I am sure you do. Give me a moment or two more to speak with Xander and Buffy. We will let you know what we have decided."

Gabrielle left the room with her head bowed in thought. She didn't know what hurt more. The fact that Xander wanted Anya back or the fact that Giles didn't think that she was important enough to be a part of the decision making. Either way, she was leaving the room just as she had entered it.

Alone.

Scene Four: Two Hours Later

"Are you sure that Gabrielle said that she would help us?" The relief was evident in Willow's voice. She knew that if she ever used the dark magicks again she would never come back.

Giles nodded; "She said that she wanted to help Xander and Anya."

Xander took a deep breath and knocked on Gabrielle's bedroom door. He knew that they would have to get this over with before Walker came home. Her oaf of a brother would have a hissy fit if he knew that Gabrielle was trying to help anyone.

She opened it with a faint smile. Her eyes were tinged with sadness. She did a wonderful job at hiding it with a smile, but it radiated from her. She didn't glow like she had this morning. For some reason he knew that he was the reason for her sadness.

That hurt worse than a kick in the gut.

"Have you guys decided?" Her voice was thin when she spoke.

Giles nodded; "Yes we have. Gabrielle you offered your assistance and we are in dire need of it."

Willow reached forward and put her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder; "You don't know how much I appreciate this Gabrielle. I don't think I could go through it again."

Xander watched and Gabrielle looked at Willow intently.

"You are not evil Willow. Magick is never entirely evil or is it completely good. It is in the middle of both worlds. It all depends on how the practitioner wishes to bends it."

Giles smiled at the younger woman's words, but she wasn't paying him any attention. Instead, she turned to Xander and whispered; "I'll do what I can to bring her back."

Impulsively, Xander cupped her smooth cheek in his hand. Gently, he ran his thumb across her cheek.

"Thank you Gabrielle. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

His words seem to sadden her more, so he slowly withdrew his hands and let it rest at his side.

Buffy was the next to speak; "Is this going to be dangerous for you in anyway?"

Gabrielle shrugged daintily, "I really don't know. As I told Mr. Giles, I have never done this before."

Willow gave her an encouraging grin and whispered; "You always remember your first."

A ghost of a smile passed across Gabrielle's lips.

"What do we need to do?"

Gabrielle smiled at Dawn's question.

"Nothing. I have worked with magick for so long that props only hinder me. You all go downstairs."

Xander didn't move; "I will stand right by the door. I don't like leaving you up here alone."

She smiled. It was an odd smile filled with tenderness and longing.

"I will be fine. If I know that you are out here standing guard I won't be able to concentrate."

"Are you sure?"

"Go Xander. I will be fine."

Willow took Xander's hand and they all walked away from her bedroom door. Giles was the last to leave. He gave her an encouraging smile and whispered; "If you need anything, or if anything goes wrong..."

"Mr. Giles, if anything goes wrong you will all know it. I scream rather loudly."

He chuckled and walked away.

Gabrielle sighed and stepped back into her room.

She looked at the walls, which were painted a delicate rose color. She ran her hand across her light pink bed spread and sat in the middle of the floor. Gabrielle was so scared she was shaking.

Carefully, she pinned her hair back into a messy bun and shielded herself. She imagined the earth coming up and wrapping its arms around her. It cradled her the way she always wanted her biological mother to do. She let the feeling of safety and comfort embrace her before opening her eyes.

She stared intently at the candle in front of her. It was black.

Black like the shroud of death.

Gabrielle sighed; "I call upon the old ones. I ask for them to join me. Daughters of the Underworld rise and grant me entrance."

The energy in the room began to shift and gather around her. It was a common occurrence. The tiny curls sticking out from her bun began to tingle and dance with an unseen wind.

"I am the Maiden dancing wildly. I am the Mother waiting patiently. I am the Crone seeking the secrets of the unknown. I ask permission into your gates. Lead me to whom I seek."

The candle ignited. The flame danced. She had been heard.

"Keeper of Souls both dark and light I seek the soul of one taken too soon."

**You ask for one that has been taken by fate.**

The voice was neither masculine nor feminine. It was powerful. Gabrielle felt the floor beneath her shake.

"Fate took her unjustly. She died in order to save others."

**She has taken the lives of others. The blood still flows around her.**

Gabrielle sighed. She held out her hand. Her mother, the Goddess Cerridwen, had placed a drop of her greal on her hand when Gabrielle had been two years old. The drop had burned and left a very distinctive and jagged mark on her hand.

"I am the daughter of the Crone. I am protected by her cauldron. By that cauldron I demand that you release Anya into the care of those that once loved her and those that love her still."

**Anyanka can not be released. Her body has fallen into the mouth of hell.**

Well, wasn't that just hunky-dory.

"Then by Osiris I beseech you to give her form. Take what once was and make her whole again."

**Do you ask this for yourself?**

"No, I am asking for those that can not access life or death."

**And you think you can?**

"I am merely a messenger. I give the message of loneliness from those she has left. I reverently ask that you give her form and return her to those that have been without her presence."

**What do you wish?**

"I merely wish for peace. The peace that Anya will receive when she returns and the peace that her friends will receive when they see her again."

**But, you are the daughter of Cerridwen. Why do you come to me?**

"I come to you because I seek YOUR ability. I come to you, a most holy servant, with the desire that you grant my most humble request."

**Daughter of Cerridwen, your request is denied. She was taken by fate.**

Gabrielle cried out in frustration when the candle extinguished and the room was smothered in darkness.

Plan A was no good.

She hated to say it, but her only option was Plan B.

"Goddess help me." She whispered the words as she stripped out of her clothes.

Scene Five:

"Do you think she is okay?" Xander asked the question as he crammed an entire jelly filled donut into his mouth.

Gabrielle's room was eerily quiet. It had been forty-five minutes since they had walked away from her.

"Giles, I should have done this. Gabrielle may not be strong enough to do this."

Giles shook his head; "I think we may all be underestimating Gabrielle's ability."

Buffy looked at him and asked; "What are you talking about?"

Again, Giles shook his head; "When she is ready she will tell us her secrets. Just trust her. She will do what she can."

Scene Six:

Gabrielle stood naked in her backyard. She hoped her neighbors were asleep. If not, her spell will probably be interrupted by police sirens.

"Knowing my luck, they will come with video cameras. 'Naked Occultist worshipping the Moon'. That is what the headline will say right underneath and image of my bare ass."

She took a piece of moonstone that was twice blessed by Psyche and held under the glow of the waning moon.

"Psyche, Goddess of the Soul, Goddess of Transformation, appear before me."

In less than a minute, Psyche, with her long blonde hair and big blue eyes stood before her.

"Gabby, what's wrong?"

"I need a favor."

The Goddess moved. Her blue diaphanous gown moved with her curves. She walked until she stood in front of Gabrielle.

She took in Gabrielle's nudity and raised an eyebrow; "Supplication? I thought you were too good for that."

"You assumed I was too good for that."

Psyche smiled. "Does your mother know that you called on me?"

"What do you think?"

The Goddess laughed then. It was a tinkling laughter. Gabrielle couldn't shelter her own grin.

"Always were the little rebel weren't you?"

"I am risking my mother's wrath by calling you."

Psyche nodded; "That is why I am intrigued little sister. Your mother doesn't like my family very much."

"No kidding."

Psyche laughed again; "Have you changed your mind little sister? Is that why you have called me? Are you going to pledge to my mother? Are you ready to become a priestess of Aphrodite?"

Gabrielle shook her head; "You know I can't. Not now. The Kala Remeen is loose."

"I have heard."

There was a long pause before Gabrielle found her voice.

"About my favor?"

Psyche raised an eyebrow; "Yes what about your favor?"

"I need you to grant me a soul. Temporarily of course."

"Whose soul?"

"Anyanka."

"The vengeance demon? No little sister. That is out of the question."

"Please. It is not for me."

"Then for who?"

Gabrielle chose not to answer. Instead, she looked the Goddess in the eye.

Psyche smiled when she saw the secrets hidden in Gabrielle's soul.

"Little sister. You are in love?"

"It will never work."

Psyche smiled in understanding; "She is some one that he loved isn't she? You are bringing her back to please him. Gabrielle, mother would be so proud of you."

"You can't tell anyone. Psyche, no one can know. I have already been refused by the Gatekeepers."

"You would defy the Gatekeepers for...I assume he has a name."

"Xander."

Psyche smiled; "You would defy the Gatekeepers for this Xander? Gabrielle, you risk death by doing this."

"That is why you can't tell anyone."

"What is your plan? What will you do if I give you back the demon's soul?"

"You will give her soul form."

"I can only do that for a short amount of time."

"How long?"

"Three weeks."

"That's long enough."

Psyche raised an eyebrow; "What do you plan to do in that time Gabby?"

"I plan on convincing my mother to let Anya live again."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"I am going to agree to marry Afagdu."

Psyche's beautiful eyes grew wide with surprise; "This Xander must be very special."

"It is the only way."

"You are going to give up your happiness for someone that you have...how long have you known this Xander?"

"One week."

"Gabrielle, little sister, you are blinded by lust. I will leave and return tomorrow. You need to think."

"No. This is what I want Psyche."

"Is he worth a lifetime of unhappiness?"

She thought of what little she already knew of him. She thought of his smile. His ability to make those around him laugh. She thought of how she waited anxiously to go to sleep each night, because she knew he was waiting in her dreams. Waiting for her.

"Psyche, I believe that he is well worth an eternity of unhappiness."

Psyche waved her hand. Gabrielle gasped when she felt the warm white silk wrap around her body. It was gorgeous.

"Never supplicate yourself to me again. Little sister, you are a goddess."

Gabrielle smiled; "Will you do this for me?"

A butterfly appeared suddenly. It was beautiful. Its wings were decorated with soft pinks and lovely golds. Psyche waved her hand and a petite blonde woman appeared before them both.

"It is done little sister."

Scene Seven:

Xander was chewing on the last jelly donut when Anya and Gabrielle walked through the door.

Anya looked confused. She stumbled a bit when stepping over the threshold, but Gabrielle reached forward and steadied her.

"An?"

"In the flesh." Anya whispered.

Dawn rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Anya. Buffy was next. Heck, even Giles hugged her. Xander just watched.

Without thinking, his eyes found Gabrielle and he was dumbstruck at how beautiful she looked. Her dark hair was loose and she had on, well, she had on a toga, but it was a very flattering toga.

She smiled at him and he mouthed the words "Thank you" to her before she turned and walked upstairs.

Xander wanted to follow her, but he was waylaid by Anya.

"You did it Harris. I never thought in a million years that you would come through for me like this."

Xander frowned at the little jibe to his ego.

"It is good to see you too Anya."

She surprised him and kissed him on the cheek before asking; "Who was the women that brought me in."

"Gabrielle Kincaid. She is the woman that brought us here."

Anya smiled; "I need to thank her."

Giles shook his head; "Give Gabrielle the night to rest. We don't know what she had to go through to get you here."

Buffy nodded; "Giles is right. Anya come with me to the kitchen. We'll fix you something to eat."

Anya rubbed her stomach; "Good. Being dead takes a lot out of a girl."

Scene Eight:

Gabrielle watched Walker get out of his truck and stumble into the house. He was drunk, but everyone had gone to bed. That saved everyone from the chance of running into her brother.

She wiped a tear away and continued to stare blankly out of the window. Xander was happy. That was all that mattered. She didn't know why but his happiness mattered to her more than anything else.

He was happy.

She was miserable.

Gabrielle knew that fate was mocking her.

"Little sister, are you all right?"

Gabrielle turned around with a watery smile; "I thought you had already gone."

"I was, but I couldn't get you off my mind. Say the word Gabby and I will erase the entire thing."

"This is how it should be Psyche."

"When will you tell your mother about your decision?"

"Tomorrow night. I want one more day of freedom."

"Will Afagdu let you continue your search for the Kala?"

Gabrielle sighed; "He has no choice."

"Gabby, tell your mother what has happened. Tell her why you did it. Your mother, even though harsh, loves you. She wants you to be happy."

"I have gone against her. I asked you for help. She will never forgive me." A sob tore for Gabrielle's throat; "I have no other choice, I have to marry Afagdu."

"No you don't. Come with me Gabby. Your mother will not breach the walls of Mount Olympus. My mother will protect you."

"My mother will not harm me. I know this sounds awful Psyche, but I just don't care. I will marry Afagdu. I will do whatever she wants me to do. He is happy."

"He being Xander of course."

"I know I must look like a martyr to you, but I swear this is what I want."

"Why is he so important to you?"

"I have dreamt of him."

Psyche looked at her. Her eyes reflected shock.

"Do you mean?"

"It is just a myth Psyche. Even Walker says..."

"Walker is useless."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes; "My mother told me that it was just a story."

"But Aphrodite told you...."

Gabrielle smiled wistfully; "You will dream of him in the dead of night; he will whisper words of love and hold you tight. Old Gods will kneel before you both as you will embrace; the faeries will dance in jubilation to the smile on your face. The darkness will disappear and all will be right; your champion will lead your there to a place of light."

Psyche grinned; "You remember."

"It is not something I will ever forget."

"My mother is never wrong when it comes to love little sister."

Gabrielle smiled sadly; "She is wrong this time Psyche. I have given him Anya."

"But what about you?"

"I will settle down and become a good wife to Afagdu."

Psyche laughed; "I bet you my right ass cheek you have him killed within a year."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. Thankful to her friend for giving her a moment of humor.

"It is crude for a Goddess to refer to her backside."

"Why? People spend their entire life kissing it."

Gabrielle chuckled; "Go home Psyche. I'll be fine."

Psyche gave her a quick hug and a wink; "If you need me, just whistle."

"I will. Thank you Psyche."

"Blessed Be little sister."

Scene Nine:

"Were you in a hell dimension?" Gabrielle walked into the kitchen the next morning to hear Dawn ask Anya the question.

Anya sat on the counter top and let her feet swing; "There was no money, no food, and no intercourse. If there was a hell, I was in it."

Willow looked up to see Gabrielle's blushing cheeks. She laughed; "You'll get used to it Gabby. Anya is known for her honesty."

Gabrielle had been prepared to hate the woman. She was the one that was stealing her happiness, but Gabrielle found it hard to hate someone that jumps off a counter to wrap their arms around you.

"Thank you so much for helping me. Xander and Giles explained to me what you did. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

Gabrielle shook her head and Anya finally let go of her.

"It was no problem at all."

"I know what it takes to bring someone back. I know what you went through for me."

Gabrielle shook her head; "I was in no way harmed. I simply asked Psyche for your soul. She gave it to me on a temporary basis."

Xander, who was sitting at the table reading the paper, looked up in surprise; "You just asked Psyche and 'poof' she gave you Anya?"

Gabrielle shook her head again; "It isn't that easy. Anya's form is only temporary, but don't worry I will ask my mother for help."

Dawn raised an eyebrow; "No offense Gabby, but what can your mother do?"

Giles took his glasses off and looked at Gabrielle for a long moment. He had to admit that he had his doubts, but if she had really simply asked Psyche to help her then he was certain that his theory was true.

"You are the daughter of Cerridwen aren't you?"

Gabrielle's eyes grew large as everyone in the kitchen looked at her. Anya, Xander, Dawn, Buffy (who had just walked in), and Giles. They were all looking at her.

She had to fight the urge to turn and run.

"Yes." Buffy was about to open her mouth, but Gabrielle waylaid her; "I am not evil. I promise you I am not evil."

"Why would you think that we would assume that you are evil?" Giles asked as he moved toward her and placed his hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her.

"Walker said that you would want to dissect me. He said that you would call others from the Council to bring me to England and cut me open to see how I worked."

Xander's eyes darkened with anger; "That is bull. Giles would never hurt anyone."

Anya interrupted Gabrielle before she could speak; "I hate to interrupt, but about my body being temporary. How can we fix that problem?"

Giles ignored her question and asked one of his own; "What will your mother want in return for Anya's life?"

Gabrielle waved her hand in dismissal; "Just a simple exchange."

She dropped her head so no one could see that she was lying.

"Again, I ask you, how can we fix the fact that my body is temporary?"

"Anya, you have nothing to worry about."

"As much as I appreciate the fact that you brought me back, I have to say that all I can do is worry. I want to know that I am back for good."

Gabrielle gave the other woman a reassuring smile. She understood why Anya would worry. People weren't always the most trustworthy of creatures, and Anya didn't know Gabrielle at all. So the other woman had no idea of knowing that Gabrielle Kincaid was a woman of her word.

"Anya, leave Gabby alone for a minute. Will you?" Xander's voice did little to relieve Anya of her mounting irritation.

"I am sorry, but I can't leave her alone Xander. I am the one that has been dead for the past four months. I want to know when I can finally close my eyes and know that I will wake up the way I went to sleep…alive."

Gabrielle took a deep breath and looked at the woman that Xander loved. She was attractive, but she didn't have a likeable personality.

She shook her head at that thought. Now was not the time to fall victim to petty jealousy. She had things to do before she told her mother that she had come to a decision concerning Afagdu.

Her stomach rolled as she thought of spending the rest of eternity with him.

Without thinking, her eyes fell on Xander, and her stomach rolled for an entirely different reason. She wondered what it would be like if things had been different. She could definitely see herself spending the rest of her life with him. He would make her laugh. They would have wonderfully adorable children and spend their days cherishing one another.

But, that was just a dream.

And sooner or later everyone has to wake up and face reality.

Scene Ten: Twenty Minutes later

Xander wiped his sweaty palms on the legs of his favorite pair of jeans and lifted his hands to knock on Gabrielle's door.

He wanted to know that she was okay.

He knew the answer when she opened the door and stood before him. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her hair looked like a bird could make a very nice condo on top of it.

"Hi." As conversation starters went, he knew that it was pretty lame.

Gabrielle looked at him in surprise; "Hi. Is something wrong?"

"Nah, I just needed a few minutes away from the 'Anya is back' party."

"You are not happy that she is back?"

He sighed; "I am very happy, but I am also worried about you."

He smiled a little when he saw the blush cross her face. Evidently, she wasn't used to having people worry about her.

"I assure you I am fine."

"So the redness around the eyes and the running nose is the new look for the fall season?"

That won a smile from her; "Xander, I am just doing some thinking."

"Well, I'll have you know that I am a wonderful listener. So, spill your guts."

She sighed and he leaned closer to her. Again, there was that lavender scent.

"I am very happy for you and Anya. You do know that right?"

He looked at her with an odd expression; "Gabby, Anya and I…well…"

"There is no need to sugar coat the truth. I know that you love her."

"I will always love Anya. She was the first woman to ever treat me like a man."

"I brought her back to make you happy."

"And I am happy."

She smiled and wiped a chunk of her hair behind her ear.

"I am glad that you are happy."

He gave her a lopsided grin and countered with; "I am ecstatic that you are glad that I am happy."

She laughed and shook her head; "Do you every take anything seriously?"

He nodded. His smile had all but evaporated.

"I take the fact that you have been crying and refuse to tell me why very seriously."

"I guess I'm just tired."

"Nope. I refuse to believe that. 'Fess up or I will call Willow. She happens to be the Hitler of the group. She will have you spilling your guts in no time."  
"I lied to Giles about the exchange I have to make in order to keep Anya here."

"Everyone lies to Giles."

She didn't smile and that made him very nervous.

"In order for Anya to stay here with you…I have to barter myself."

Air rushed out of his lungs in an audible "whoosh".

"What do you mean barter yourself?"

"I have to marry."

"Anyone? Or someone in particular?"

"I have to marry one of my mother's guards."

Xander leaned back and closed his eyes. This shouldn't matter to him. It really shouldn't. He should simply tip his hat to her and go back downstairs to Anya. But even though he shouldn't care….he couldn't stop himself from taking her hand in his own.

"Do you want to marry him?"

"No."

"Then tell your mother that you don't. Maybe you can knit her a nice little sweater instead. Mom's love sweaters."

"Xander, if it were that easy I wouldn't be in my room trying to convince myself that death is not an option. There is an evil being on the loose that will eventually eat away at humanity, but the only thing I can think about is that I am about to marry someone I loath more than anything else in the world."

"Then why did you bring Anya back?"

She closed her eyes, as if in pain, and licked her lips. Xander watched her gather her emotions in fascination. She was silent for a long moment before she opened here eyes again and whispered; "I did it for you."

"Why? You don't even know me?"

She let out a harsh laugh then. It was so out of character that Xander found himself wincing at the sound.

"I know that Xander. I did it because…"

She didn't answer. He wanted to grab her by the arms and shake the truth from her, but he knew that she would close up completely on him then. So he watched her pace around the room. Back and forth. Back and forth. Like a madwoman with no where to go.

"Do you know that I dream of you?" She stopped pacing to look at him when she asked this question.

"What?" He recalled her mentioning something to that affect on the day that they had met, but as with most things, he simply pushed it to the back of his mind in all the excitement.

"I have dreamt of you for a long while now. It started about four months ago. You would just appear in my dreams. This odd man with one eye. The first night you appeared you smiled at me and I felt more peace than I ever had. You smiled at me because I was myself. Not because I am the daughter of a goddess. After that first night, I hoped that the moment I closed my eyes you would appear, and thankfully most of the time you were there waiting on me. The stories you told me of your family were horrible. I felt for you and I stroked your brow when you put your head in my lap."

He wanted to speak then. He wanted to tell her that he had those same dreams. He wanted to say that everything he had told her in those dreams had been true, but his mouth wouldn't work.

What in the hell was going on?

"I fell in love with the man in those dreams, and I think I made the dire mistake of forcing his personality onto you. I am so sorry. I wanted you to be the man that I dreamt about, so that I could finally know what it is like to hold something tangible in my hands. I brought Anya back, because I can't stand to see someone that I love in pain. But you are right. I don't know you and now I will never get the chance. My word is my bond and I will tell my mother that I will marry her guardsmen. I will go through with it because I have no choice."

"Gab…" He wanted to tell her so many things, but she held up her hand to stop the words.

"Whatever you are about to say…please don't. It is better this way. Go downstairs Xander and be with your friends. I have to contact my mother."

"There has to be something we can do."

"There is nothing that can be done. I knew what I was doing the moment I asked Psyche for help. Go."

He shook his head. For seven years he had faced things that would make any other man run and hide behind a rock. He had fought demons that would have used him for floss if Buffy hadn't been there. This was the first time in all those years that not even Buffy could save him.

He was utterly helpless.

"There has to be something I can do. Let me do something Gabby. Anything. I don't like feeling like this."

"Neither do I."

She hugged herself and smiled sadly at him.

Xander wanted to hit something. "If I had known this was what would happen I would have never asked you…"

She shook her head; "No. Don't say it. Anya is here because that is the way it should be. Fate would have found another way."

He sighed; "I still wish that there was something I could do."

She held his gaze and walked toward him slowly. Step by step she drew nearer until there was nothing between them but air and attraction.

"There is one thing that you can do."

Her voice trembled with nervousness. She had never dared to be so bold with anyone before.

"What?"

Gabrielle stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips gently to his. She wrote romance novels for a living, but nothing could compare to the tenderness of this moment. Neither one of them made a move to deepen the kiss. To mix passion with the tenderness of the moment would have cheapened it for the both of them.

It was a simple kiss. A kiss filled with innocence and loss. Her tears fell onto his cheek and he let them roll onto the floor.

Somehow it seemed fitting.

Scene Eleven:

Gabrielle shut the door behind Xander and fell to the bed with a groan. She knew what she had to do. It was now or never.

Quickly, just in case she might feel the urge to change her mind, she got up and closed all the curtains. Her mother would hate to be disturbed at this time of day, but it was of the utmost importance to do this now. She had just been in Xander's arms and the urge to return there was far too overwhelming.

"Mother!"

Nothing.

Her mother had not come to her since the day she had knelt before a homemade temple of Aphrodite and begged the Greek goddess to send her the man she would love the rest of her life. Her mother had been furious with her for two reasons. The first being that she had dared to call on another goddess and the second being that she had asked for love instead of marrying Afagdu like Cerridwen wanted. Their last conversation had been cold and harsh. It had consisted of Gabrielle telling her mother that the Kala had been released and her mother saying that Gabrielle's life would be forfeit if the demon was not put back into the cauldron. Even then, her mother had not appeared. She had simply spoken in a booming voice.

"Mother! I wish to speak to you."

Nothing. Usually, her mother would at least speak to her when she called.

She must know about Psyche.

"Mother! Listen to me. I will marry Afagdu."

Still nothing.

"I will marry him mother. I will marry him because I know that it will make you happy and because I wish to apologize for enlisting the help of Psyche. I am sorry mother and I will marry your guardsmen in penance."

There was a slight movement out of the corner of her mind, and Gabrielle turned to see an ivory slip of paper floating near her window sill. She knew it hadn't been there before so she bent over to pick up the paper.

_Daughter,_

_I know why you enlisted the help of Psyche and I am furious. Not only have you upset the Gatekeepers, but I am the one that has been made to placate them. I will grant the demon life and you are correct. You will marry Afagdu. You will marry him and live with me so that I may keep an eye on you. The wedding will occur in four weeks. That is all the time you have to get your affairs in order. I never thought that you would be such a disappointment Gabrielle._

Scene Twelve:

The Goddess strained against the bonds and listened to the Kala laugh. Cerridwen had been in the same place for more than two months. She had to get out and make it to her daughter. Even now, she heard Gabrielle call out to her, but she could do nothing.

Nothing but listen to the maniacal laughter of a beast.

"Don't fret Goddess mine. Things are just about to get interesting." It wasn't the voice of the Kala that spoke, but the voice of a man that She thought could be trusted.

A man that Gabrielle thought she could still trust.

"I have separated her from the Champion master." Walker Kincaid's voice rung with pride as the fetid words dripped from his mouth.

Cerridwen fought against the restraints and hoped that Gabrielle would realize that something was amiss before all hope was lost.


	3. Chapter 3

18

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Season 8 (As written by Crystal)

Episode Three: Caffeine High

Scene One:

Rachel Fitzburg sipped her coffee and sighed with relish as the dark liquid slid down her throat.

"This stuff is what dreams are made of."

The man behind the counter smiled at her words.

When he spoke his British accent was very noticeable; "Thank you my dear. Would you care for another cup?"

Rachel smiled; "Don't mind if I do."

The man poured her another cup and Rachel surveyed the room. Students from the University of North Alabama were wall to wall in the new coffee house. A live band played in the farthest corner and the place smelled like rich caffeinated goodness. Rachel smiled when she saw a young man in one of those corners. She didn't know him on a first name basis, but she had been staring at the back of his blonde head for the past two semesters. She watched him smile at something that was being said to him, and she found herself smiling in return.

Her smile quickly faded when she saw that he was talking with some skanky little brunette. The desire to kill the girl rose in her like a hot flame. Rachel took another long sip of the coffee and walked toward the girl with glowing eyes.

"I can't believe that I just lost my job!"

Giles screamed in outrage at the computer while Willow, Dawn, Xander and Anya looked on in amusement.

"It's just a game." Xander told him with a smile as he popped the SIMS out of the disk drive and handed the CD to Dawn; "Here Dawnie go and put this back in Gabrielle's room. Giles can't handle the pressure of a simulated life."

"Simulated or not I find it hard to believe that roaches would appear from no where. I'll have you know that I am rather tidy."

Dawn giggled loudly; "Giles, the pixilated you was the one that was infested."

Giles was still grumbling about "infernal computers" when Buffy and Gabrielle came in the door carrying six very large cups of coffee.

Dawn went over and grabbed one of the Styrofoam cups and stared a Buffy; "What did you do? High-jack Juan Valdez?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and began passing out the coffee; "No, Gabby took me on a tour of the campus."

Giles smiled and took a long sip of his coffee; "Are you thinking of going back to school?"

Buffy nodded; "Yeah. I figure that once the Kala is kaput I might go back to school."

Anya crinkled her nose; "In Alabama?"

Buffy sat down on the floor and shrugged; "Why not? As far as places go, it isn't too bad here. No Hellmouth. Not an overwhelming population of vampires..."

Dawn finished; "And an untapped resource of burly southern boys."

Willow rolled her eyes and moved over so Gabrielle could have a seat next to her. While the sisters continued to discuss boys, Willow checked in on Gabrielle. The other witch looked very tired. Almost as if she hadn't slept since Anya had returned. Xander had told her about the sacrifice that Gabrielle had made in order to bring Anya back and Willow had to admit that she was rather humbled by it. Not many people would do something so altruistic for people that they didn't even know.

"Where did you two find the beverages? I have to admit this coffee makes my taste buds dance." Xander emphasized his words by tossing the rest of his drink back in one gulp.

Gabrielle was the one that answered him. Her voice was soft and sad when she spoke.

"There is a new coffee shop next to the college. It's called Caffeine High."

Anya sighed; "I never understood mortals and their addictions to caffeine. In my day, if someone wished to stay up I just cut off their eyelids. It was messy but effective."

Xander shook his head; "Thank you for that visual An. I for one think that putting something akin to gasoline in my body is far better than mutilation, but hey, I'm old fashioned that way."

Buffy spoke next; "Dawn, are you finished with your homework?"

Dawn rolled her eyes; "Yes Fuhrer Summers."

Gabrielle smiled at the younger woman; "Do you still want me to look over your English paper?"

"Yes please."

"Well, well, well...this is something new. I don't believe I will ever get used to coming home and seeing my baby sister with people. Gabrielle, how does it feel to be among the living?"

Gabrielle looked at the clock and shook her head. It was only five in the afternoon and Walker was home. And stone cold drunk.

"Cat got your tongue Gabby?"

She looked him in the eyes; "Go upstairs and sleep it off Walker."

Walker smirked; "That is an awfully sharp tone you are using with me. Are you trying to save face with your new friends? Or is this for the one eyed wonder? I would give up on that Gabrielle. Xander doesn't want you...why would he when he has..."

Desire rose in Gabrielle. She was tired of her brother and his prepubescent outbursts. She was tired of him humiliating her, but most of all she was tired of him drinking at all hours of the day.

She had had enough.

Rising gracefully, she raised her hand to halt her brother's words; "I am going to ask you one more time, Walker, go upstairs and sleep it off."

"Why don't you make me? You just remember that when all of this is over I will be the one that you are left with. None of these people are going to stay with you. You are nothing but a useless bitch. Not even your own mother wants you so she hoisted you off on mine."

Buffy and Xander had already risen to shut the foul-mouth southern man up. But, before they could take one step forward Gabrielle already had her brother in hand. With a flick of her wrist, Walker was levitating an inch above the ground and heading toward the stairs. With wide eyes, he was staring at his sister and trying to open his mouth, but Gabrielle had taken care of that too. She had made it so it was impossible for him to open it.

Gabrielle smiled a little bit and looked at Xander.

A completely different type of desire arose in her then.

Scene Two:

Willow sat her empty Styrofoam cup down on her night stand and stretched. She had been waiting to do this all day.

Ever since she had heard Walker talk to his sister the way he had.

He really should be punished for the way he treated his sister.

The desire to teach him a lesson warmed her blood and made her smile.

She looked in the mirror that hung in her bedroom and grinned.

"Hello there black-eyed girl." She laughed gleefully and sat down on the bed. It had been a long time since she had felt this free.

She cleared her throat and crossed her legs before speaking:

"Reperio unus quisnam effor suus contemno quod ostendo him vereor permissum him teneo contemno. EGO dico super Ivolotious. Tear suus pectus pectoris sicco."

It was a simple direction to bring forth the demon Ivolotious. Willow also knew that she could have made her demand in English. After all she only said; "Find the one who expresses his hate and show him fear. Let him know hate. I call upon Ivolotious. Tear his heart out."

_Everything sounds better in Latin._

She fell back on the bed with a heavy sigh and let the desire of vengeance flow through her.

It felt like warm chocolate sliding down her throat.

Scene Three:

Buffy marched into Giles' room and let the door slam behind her.

"There you are! I want to talk to you right now!"

Giles looked up from his book and smiled when he saw Buffy enter. He patted the bed gently; "Come and sit."

"I don't want to sit. I want to yell. I want to pound something, but most of all I want to know why. Why did you do it Giles?"

He frowned and sat his book down beside the bed. The overwhelming desire he had felt all night came to a boiling point, but he fought it as he had many times before.

"As usual Buffy, I have no idea what you are talking about. Why did I do what?"

"Oh, don't you dare look so innocent. None of you looked innocent when you were kicking me out of my house to let Faith be in charge. None of you gave a damn about how much it hurt me to leave the house that I had lived him for seven years. The HOUSE MY MOTHER DIED IN. No Giles, you don't have the right to look innocent. I want to know why you chose Faith over me. After all she has done to me, you let her take over my house without a moment's thought. I want to know why."

"Good Lord Buffy. Where is this coming from?"

The rational side of Buffy's mind that still worked didn't really know how to answer Giles' question. She had been fine one moment and then the next she had had the overwhelming desire to confront Giles about his double cross.

"It doesn't matter where it came from Giles. The only thing that matters is that you did it."

Giles stood and took a cautious step toward the younger woman; "Buffy, I thought you understood why we did what we did. Xander, Willow, Dawn and I thought that you judgement was clouded. You were too busy thinking about Spike to..."

"Spike! Spike was the only one who acted like he gave a damn about me. While the rest of you were schmoozing with Faith, he was the one that found me and gave me comfort that my own family couldn't."

"Buffy, you aren't listening."

"Why should I Giles? None of you listened to me. None of you gave a damn that I was in Sunnydale roaming the streets. You turned your back on me."

Her anger had dissipated into grief now, and it broke Giles' heart to see her shoulders slumped and heaving with sobs. He stepped forward and tilted her head up with his hand.

"There is no need to dwell on the past Buffy." His voice was soft and gentle when he spoke, but something in his touch changed when Buffy looked up at him.

He stroked the underside of her throat with his fingers and let his desire rip through him like a tidal wave. Before Buffy had a chance to react, Giles swooped down and kissed her.

She jerked away almost instantly; "Giles, what in the HELL are you doing?"

He didn't know. He had no idea what in the bloody hell had gotten into him, but whatever it was...it wasn't done with him yet. Giles put both of his hands on each of her shoulders and kissed her hard. Buffy's eyes went wide and just when he was sure she had succumbed to his touch- she pulled away.

And punched him in the nose.

Giles held his injured nasal passage tenderly in his hands.

Buffy looked at him. Tears were streaming down her face; "Giles, what do you think you are doing? I came in here to talk to you..."

A final sob tore from her throat just as she turned and ran from the room.

Scene Four:

Anya stared at the man exiting the bank closely. She had done this before.

Robbery and murder were nothing to her when the desire was this high. She smiled and sneaked around the corner before hitting the man in the head and stabbing him six times...

It would seem that mortal desire was much more intense than demon.

Scene Five:

Xander and Gabrielle ran into each other on the stairway.

"Is something wrong?" Xander asked the question as he leaned forward and smelled her hair.

Gabrielle sighed softly.

"I heard Buffy yelling. I went to check on her, but she wasn't in her room."

Xander moved closer, and Gabrielle didn't resist when he nibbled on her neck. In fact, she held onto him to keep from hitting the floor.

"Buffy's a big girl." He whispered the words against her flesh; "She'll be back once she has cooled off."

He backed Gabrielle up against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Xander growled and grabbed a fist full of her hair in his hand.

She groaned as he kissed his way down her neck and gasped; "What were you doing in the hallway?"

He leaned back and smiled; "Looking for you."

Gabrielle wanted to smile in return, but Xander's mouth had descended on hers in an open mouth kiss.

The desire was almost tangible.

Scene Six:

Dawn was going to go patrolling. It was something that she had always wanted to do by herself, but tonight the urge to do so was keeping her up. The only thing she wanted to do was to go out and find a vampire and put a stake through its heart. She wanted to do it without Buffy. She wanted to prove to her older sister that she wasn't a little kid.

She could do anything that Buffy could do.

Maybe if she came home covered in vamp dust everyone would start treating her like an adult.

She put the leather bag filled with holy water, stakes, and garlic around her shoulder and walked out the door...

To see a huge, slimy, creature staring at her.

"Holy crap! Buffy! Get your ass down here!"

Scene Seven:

Ethan Rayne chuckled to himself as he switched the open sign to closed on his coffee shop. He was surprised that he hadn't thought of this before. College students loved their coffee.

It was so easy to manipulate them.

They came in and drank his beverages never knowing that they were ingesting a potion that would make them give into any and all of their most hidden desires.

Some of the things that he had seen the students do in the past few weeks were amazing, but what had surprised him the most was the presence of Buffy.

He had hid in the back of the shop when she had come in to buy coffee. Part of him wanted to go and see what urges the Goody-two-shoe-squad was giving into, but he was smarter than that. It had taken him a few months to plan his escape from the Initiative, and he wasn't going to risk being held captive again because he wanted to gloat.

No, he would simply wait and watch the havoc he had wreaked from a safe distance.

After all he was evil, but that didn't make him an idiot.

Scene Eight:

Buffy came stomping around the corner and practically ran into Xander, who for some reason was zipping up his pants frantically. Gabrielle was right behind him, her long black hair was no longer in its neat little chignon.

"Was that Dawn screaming?" Gabrielle asked as she buttoned up her blouse.

"Isn't it always?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

Xander looked at his Slayer friend with a raised eyebrow and grabbed Gabrielle's hand before saying; "Don't you think that we should be walking a little bit faster than this Buff? Generally speaking, when one of us screams it means that the ca-ca has hit the fan."

Buffy shrugged; "How about we wait until she screams for Faith? Faith seems to be the one that you all prefer."

Gabrielle frowned; "Faith? The other Slayer Faith?"

"Skanky-body switching-friend stealing-I'm the boss now so get out of your own house so I can run in half cocked and get everyone killed Faith." Buffy paused to tie her shoe.

"Buffy, Dawn is in danger. Don't you care?"

The blonde stood and gave an odd little grin; "I care as much as you all did when you told me to leave. Xander did it hurt you at all to see me leave that night? To know that you had tossed me out for a woman that tried to kill you? Did you feel just a moment of remorse?"

Xander let go of Gabrielle's hand and ran his fingers through his hair; "Buffy, can this not wait until your sister isn't screaming for dear mercy downstairs?"

"Good Lord, is that Dawn carrying on like that? Is something wrong?"

Xander let out a heavy sigh before tossing his hands up in the air; "Apparently so. But instead of going downstairs and helping her, Buffy wants to talk about something that happened a year ago!"

Giles, not looking Buffy in the eyes, sighed; "Now is not the time to give into our desire to talk about the past."

Dawn's scream for help punctuated his words.

Gabrielle, who was utterly lost, spoke next; "Do we have any weapons?"

The sound of her voice made Xander turn and look at her. The sight of her standing their, next to him, caused desire to rear its head and coil around his heart. He dipped his head and kissed her almost violently.

Her only response was to moan and run her nails up and down his back.

Buffy and Giles could only stare.

After a moment, and few more plaintive screams from Dawn, Giles cleared his throat "Umm, if you two wouldn't mind coming up for air. I am sure that Dawn could use..."

Buffy, who also made it a point not to look at Giles, halted her Watcher's words by saying; "You can stay here and watch the free porn all you want Giles. I have to go and save my sister. AGAIN. I just hope that if she makes it I'm not kicked out of this house for being tardy. Oh wait, that probably won't happen because Faith isn't here."

Giles threw up his hands in defeat. He and Buffy went downstairs to help Dawn.

Xander and Gabrielle continued groping at the top of the stairs.

Dawn screamed again and kicked the creature in what she hoped was its head and rolled toward the couch.

It made a pained noise before coming at her with renewed vigor. Its slime dripped onto her shoes and she kicked wildly. She wished that she had put something beside Vampire killers in her leather bag. She would give her right arm for a sword. And if the demon got any closer she would probably give more than that.

"BUFFY!"

"I'm coming. I'm coming." Relief spread through her when she heard her sister's voice.

Dawn rolled out of the way completely and Buffy began her full blown attack on the demon before her.

"Giles, any idea what this thing is?" Buffy asked the question and hit the creature with all of her might. The blow caused It to hit the wall and leave a rather gooey trail in it's wake.

"Good Lord." Giles whispered and helped Dawn to her feet. The younger woman smiled in thanks.

Buffy groaned as she fell to the floor with a hard crack; "Would you mind holding off on calling deity Giles. Do you know what this is?"

Giles nodded, but frowned when he realized that Buffy was not paying him any attention.

She was far too busy fighting for her life.

"It is an Ivolotious demon. I didn't know there were any left."

"There aren't. I made this one special." Giles turned and frowned when he saw Willow walk down the stairs.

She stepped over the writhing bodies of Xander and Gabrielle.

"Buffy, stop fighting him. The Ivolotious Demon is here for Walker."

Dawn frowned; "Will, did you summon him?"

Willow's black eyes stared back at Dawn and the witch smiled; "Sure did Dawnie."

Giles grabbed Willow's arm forcefully, "How do we kill it?"

Willow shook her head; "We don't Giles. I summoned him to take care of Walker. He has no right treating Gabrielle the way he does."

"This isn't right Willow and you know it. The Coven told you that using this kind of magicks would be your down fall. Why do you want to risk such a thing to get even with someone like Walker?"

Willow smiled and watched as Buffy ducked an attack from the demon; "Because I desire to see him suffer more than anything in the world Rupert. Walker is no different than Warren. They both feed on those that they think are weak. They use them and torture them until there is nothing left."

"How do you know that Willow? Walker is Gabrielle's brother. Do you think that she would appreciate you killing her brother?"

Buffy groaned when she once again hit the wall and looked at them impatiently; "Loving the heart to heart here guys, but could we speed this up. How do I kill this big pile of snot?"

Willow's red hair began to turn a deep shade of brown when she turned to Giles and put her finger over her lips; "I'll never tell."

She whispered the words and smiled.

Scene Nine

Ethan Rayne was evil.

And apparently he was a bloody idiot as well.

He had closed up his shop and had been half way home before pride got the better of him.

He had to see what Ripper was up to. He had to know if Giles was giving into any urges at all.

He had done a simple locator spell to find them and boy was he enjoying the show. Ethan grinned and peered further into the window of the house he had been led to.

"Good to see you again Ripper." He whispered as he watched the red head turn into something that even made his skin crawl.

Scene Ten:

"Make love to me." Xander groaned when he heard the words fall from Gabrielle's mouth. The noises coming from downstairs were nothing more than a distant roar. The only thing he heard was the deep panting of Gabrielle's breath mixed with his own. The only thing he felt was the rise and fall of her body against his.

"We can't do it on the stairway."

She smiled softly at him and put her warm hand on his cheek; "We can go to my room."

He kissed her again and picked her up in his arms.

Only to see Ethan Rayne standing at the window in front of the living room.

"We may have to make a rain check Gabby."

She kissed his mouth and he stifled the shudder of desire that coursed through him.

"Why?" She whispered fervently.

"It would seem that an old friend has come by for a visit."

With that said, Xander gently put Gabrielle down on the floor and gave her a quick kiss before grabbing a nearby bat and sneaking downstairs.

No one saw him when he went out the back door.

Gabrielle looked with wide eyes at the scene that was taking place downstairs. Giles was looking at a newly brunette Willow with a shocked look on his face. Dawn was slowly backing away from her and Buffy was fighting a big wad of goo.

The desire to help soon replaced her desire for Xander's touch. The desire for the man never truly went away, but the thought of being helpful eased her desire to follow him outside and do wicked things to him on the front lawn.

She closed her eyes and flicked both of her hands forward gently and sighed with relief when the demon froze in mid-swing.

Buffy looked up at her with surprise; "I wish you would have came up for air and did that about ten minutes ago."

Gabrielle blushed and quickly descended the stairs.

"What is going on?"

Willow turned and smiled; "I was trying to do you a favor, but as usual Giles and Buffy won't let me have any fun."

Buffy scoffed; "Oh, please. You could probably kill someone again and no one would even notice, but heaven forbid if I step out of line. You all gang up on me and kick me out of the house."

Giles stepped forward and put his arm around Buffy. It was a compulsion of affection that even earned him a raised eyebrow from evil Willow. He gave the Slayer a gentle squeeze and kissed her on top of the head.

Buffy pulled back from him with an angry growl; "Stop it Giles."

He wished he could. He really did. For the past seven years he had been able to ease his desire for Buffy by taking on a completely paternal role with her. But for some reason he had no control over that desire now.

Evil was definitely afoot and he had to find a way to end it before the desire to tell Buffy his true feelings grew any stronger.

"Look who I found roaming outside." Everyone turned to look at Xander.

He came in the door carrying a baseball bat in one hand and Ethan Rayne in the other.

Giles took off his glasses and began to massage the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Bloody Hell." He whispered softly before telling Xander to tie the unconscious man to a kitchen chair.

They made quick work of the task. Xander went to sit next to Gabrielle. She took his hand in hers and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Xander surveyed the room for a long moment before looking at Giles.

"Where did Willow go?"

Scene Eleven:

Willow found the girl crying. Her hands were covered with blood and she was standing over a dead body.

She had not left the house to go in search of this particular girl. Willow had left because she felt the Kala calling her. His voice was strong as it vibrated through her head. She had been finished at the house anyway. It was a given that Buffy and Giles weren't going to let her get rid of Walker. Willow had to admit she was very disappointed about that. Walker Kincaid was a worthless piece of flesh that deserved to die.

Oh well, perhaps another day.

"I killed her. Oh, God. I killed her."

The girl was chanting those words over and over again while rocking back and forth.

Willow frowned; "Did you not enjoy it?"

The girl turned around with wide eyes. "I have never hurt anything in my entire life. Of course I didn't enjoy it. What are you crazy?"

Willow stared at the girl for a long moment. It would take an awfully long time to kill her. The Kala was calling too persistently for her to take even a second, so Willow knocked the girl to the ground and giggled at the red stain it left on the pavement.

"Places to go...places to go..." Willow whispered as she walked down the street and toward the Kala.

Scene Twelve:

Ethan Rayne opened his eyes and sighed when he saw the faces staring back at him.

"Oh hell."

He watched as Ripper took of his glasses and leaned forward to whisper something to his Slayer. She looked at him with annoyance and replied.

"I hate to interrupt but it would seem that I am once again tied up and at your mercy. Buffy be a dear a cut me free. I promise to be a good boy."

Surprisingly, it wasn't Buffy who spoke but the boy that he had often seen with her. He leaned forward and adjusted his eye patch.

"Why don't you cut the wise guy routine and tell us why you are here."

Ethan looked at Buffy in surprise; "Are you no longer calling the shots dear?"

Buffy glared at Ethan; "I am about ten seconds away from beating you senseless."

Ethan smiled. "I see that leaving Sunnydale has not changed your disposition."

Giles felt his hand curl on its own volition. He knew that he should try to fight his desire, but damn it...he just couldn't. He threw back his hand and hit his nemesis in the nose.

Ethan groaned loudly as both he and the chair he had been strapped to hit the floor.

Buffy looked at her watcher in surprise; "Giles, what is wrong with you? We need him conscious."

Giles was about to make his own retort when the Ivolotious demon broke through Gabrielle's hold and roared its anger. Dawn screamed when she saw the demon moving toward them.

Ethan laughed; "You always knew how to have a good time didn't you Ripper?"

Buffy slammed his chair on the ground and went into battle mode. She glanced at Giles; "Do you have any idea what might kill this thing?"

"What if we freeze it?" Gabrielle asked.

The demon was quickly approaching. Xander tucked Gabrielle behind him to keep her safe and she held onto him like a lifeline.

Buffy rolled her eyes; "He broke through the hold."

Gabrielle shook her head. The desire to say something about Buffy's attitude was only fleeting.

"No, I mean freeze him like ice. He is a big wad of goo. If the goo freezes then we can knock him over..."

Xander finished her thought; "And no more demon."

Buffy nodded; "Sounds like a solid plan. Do any of you have the capabilities to freeze said monster?"

Gabrielle smiled. "I think I can. Move over Xander."

He moved slightly to his right giving her a clear shot of the demon. Gabrielle closed her eyes. Ethan tapped his foot in a jaunty rhythm as the beast continued to move forward. Buffy blocked the demon by kicking it back a step.

"Do you wanna hurry up a bit Gabby?"

Gabrielle ignored Buffy's question and opened her eyes. Xander gasped when he saw that her green eyes were now nothing more than a silver mist.

Even Ethan stopped tapping.

Gabrielle licked her lips and said something in a language that not even Giles knew existed and the Ivolotious demon froze like a big...well he looked like a giant booger that had been stuck to the bottom of a bench on a really cold winter day. Buffy didn't hesitate. She kicked the demon and he fell back with a large shattering sound.

"Thanks."

Gabrielle smiled; "My pleasure."

Xander watched her as she smiled. He paid close attention to the way her mouth curved in a becoming smile that would have made the Mona Lisa weep with envy. He couldn't help himself. He kissed her gently at first and everyone in the room, including their captive, rolled their eyes in frustration as Gabrielle and Xander fell to the couch- their bodies still entwined.

Dawn sighed; "Isn't there a way to turn the two of them off?"

Giles frowned and turned his back on the kissing couple. He watched Ethan closely; "What are you doing here Ethan?"

Ethan gave Giles a look of mock innocence; "I am on vacation. Can't a man enjoy himself with someone hitting him in the head with a bat and tying him to a chair?"

Buffy shook her head; "Not when that man is you. Now, tell us why you were here snooping."

Ethan knew that they wouldn't let him leave until he made a confession of some sort. So he told them a half-truth.

"I opened a quaint little coffee shop down the street from the campus. Is that a crime?"

Giles smirked; "That all depends on what you ulterior motives are."

"I have no ulterior motives Ripper. I did my time with the Initiative. I am a reformed man and I take offense that you would think otherwise."

Buffy leaned over, her blonde hair teasing Ethan's shirt, "I am going to ask you this one more time, and then I am going to get very violent with you, what are you doing here Ethan?"

Dawn's eyes went wide as she put two and two together; "What are you putting in the coffee?"

Ethan looked shocked; "How did you figure that out?"

Dawn smiled; "You said you owned a coffee shop and you love chaos. I just thought that none of us really started acting strangely until we drank the coffee this afternoon."

Giles smiled at Dawn; "Good thinking."

The younger Summers smiled with pride.

Giles turned back to Ethan. The image of a proud father completely gone from his visage.

"What did you put in the coffee?"

Ethan shrugged and winced when the action caused the rope to chaff his wrist; "It's very harmless Ripper. It is a simple potion that lets people act on their inner most desires."

"How do we stop it?"

Ethan smiled at looked at the clock; "It's no real problem. When the clock strikes seven everything will go back to normal."

Buffy stared at the clock and looked at Giles in relief; "Three more minutes."

Dawn motioned toward Ethan; "What are we going to do with him?"

Buffy sighed; "Let him go once we know that Willow is safe and sound and that the spell really ends at seven."

Ethan smiled at the Slayer; "Why Buffy, if I didn't know any better I would think that you didn't trust me."

Scene Thirteen: Five Minutes later

Willow stopped right in front of an old tire store. The Kala was no longer in her head and thankfully the desire to kill and maim had gone as well. She sat down on the edge of the curb and ran her hands down her face.

What in the hell had just happened?

She gasped and went running back toward Gabrielle's house praying that they were all safe and hoping that they would forgive her.

Again.

Scene Fourteen: Ten Minutes Later

Buffy was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of milk when Giles entered. She didn't bother to look up, because she had no idea what to say to him.

"I was jealous."

He said the words so bluntly that she had to look up twice before realizing that he was actually talking to her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Last year. I was jealous of the way you and Spike were with each other. I didn't like the idea of you being with him, so I lashed out. It was the first time that you didn't lean on me or Willow or Xander. We didn't know what to do Buffy. Faith was a way of getting even with you for not letting us in."

She put the milk back in the refrigerator and stared at him for a long moment.

"Giles, why were you jealous of Spike?"

He sat down and massaged his temples for a long moment before whispering; "Buffy, there are some things that I can't explain. I have already made a fool of myself tonight. I am not going to further my idiocy by revealing things that I don't understand myself. Let's just suffice it to say that I was jealous and leave it at that."

And so they sat. Buffy pretending to drink her milk and Giles pretending that he was very interested in the pattern on the table cloth.

It only took another thirty seconds for Giles to feel like an imbecile. He stood and reached for his jacket.

"I am going for a walk."

"I was jealous too you know."

Sliding one arm into the right sleeve of his favorite worn leather jacket, Giles looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Pardon me?"

"Ms. Calendar, Olivia, even my mom. I was jealous. I didn't like sharing you with them, so I had to deal."

Giles stood very still and whispered; "Buffy, what are you trying to say?"

She didn't move from her spot behind the counter. She didn't even look up from her glass of milk, but she spoke loud and clear.

"I'm sorry for acting the way I did tonight Giles. Not just about Dawn. If anything would have happened to her..." She took a long sip of the milk before gently putting it back on the counter; "I know that things just got very complicated between the two of us. I know that you were under a spell when you kissed me, but it was still your desire that made you do it..."

"Buffy, I assure you that I can control my baser instincts. You will never know how sorry I am that I did such a thing. I know that it will take a little bit of time, but I think that we will both be able to get over my indiscretion..."

"I don't want to get over it."

Giles simply stared; "Do...do you want me to leave?"

Her face shot up, a look of alarm evident. "No. No, that's not what I meant. Giles...Rupert, what I meant to say was..."

He glanced at the clock and back at Buffy. He would have loved to stay right where he was a hash out this entire ordeal, but he had one more important thing to do, and it had to be done as soon as possible.

"Buffy I have to go. Can we talk about this later?"

She smiled sadly at him; "Don't worry about it Giles. Let's just forget this entire night happened okay?"

"All right. I should be back shortly."

"Be careful."

He paused before opening the door, and let out a sigh of disappointment when she didn't bother to stop him.

Scene Fifteen: Twenty Minutes Later

Dawn pulled her diary out and wrote diligently:

_This has been the weirdest night ever. Giles and Buffy are acting weird. Willow went all veiny. Xander and Gabrielle were...well...let's just say that I know perfectly understand the whole concept of the birds and the bees. Everyone else had all these really cool desires and I just wanted to prove that I was an adult._

_How boring am I? _

_I was a mystical key and now all I do is homework. Something has got to give. I am just so boring._

She let out a melodramatic sigh before listing the things that she could do in order to spice up her average routine.

Scene Sixteen: Thirty Minutes Later

Anya wiped the sweat from her brow as she buried the bodies under an old oak tree in the park. The desire to kill had left her just a short while ago.

So now she had to worry about covering her tracks.

It was tough job, burying human bodies. When she had been a demon, clean up was never an issue. Either her prey would burst into flames or they would just rot away.

"Can I help?" She jumped and turned to see Gabrielle's brother standing behind her.

"Wal...Walker. Uhm, no I'm fine. I was just..."

"Burying some bodies at seven thirty at night?"

She hung her head in defeat; "Have you called the police?"

Walker laughed; "No. I followed you tonight and I have to admit that I am impressed. I am not going to tell on you Anya. I only want to help."

"I only have one shovel."

"I keep one in my car."

Her eyes got wide and he laughed.

"What? You aren't the only one with secrets."

Scene Seventeen: Eight O'clock

"Gabby? Are you still up?" Xander opened the door to her bedroom and whispered his question.

He found her sitting in front of the mirror combing out her hair.

"Hi." She whispered.

He smiled while he watched her nervously fumble around with her brush and avoid making eye contact with him.

"I thought we might need to talk about what happened today."

She smiled sheepishly; "You think?"

He laughed; "Well, I guess I made it pretty obvious that I like you."

She smiled; "As you know, I reciprocate your sentiment."

"Does that mean that you like me too?"

She only nodded.

He sat on the edge of her bed and waited for her to face him before he spoke again.

"The last time I was in here, you told me that you had dreams about me."

"Xander..."

He held up his hand; "You told me that you fell in love with the man in those dreams. Gabrielle, I had those same dreams about you. Everything you described. I was there. I thought at first that it was just my imagination running wild, and I have to admit that it threw me seeing you at the airport."

"You...you...you dreamt of me as well?"

"Yep."

"Oh boy."

He chuckled at her reaction; "Good oh boy or bad oh boy?"

"I'm not sure."

"Gabby, you can't marry Afagdu."

"Xander, like I told you last time, I don't have a choice. This is something that I have to do."

"What if we found a way around it?"

"There is no way around it. My mother has given me a date and I will be married then. She doesn't sway easily."

"Do you really love me?"

She paused for a long moment; "I think I do."

He smiled; "Then we will find a way out of it."

"What if we can't?"

"Then we'll run. Go some where were we no one can find us."

Gabrielle stood and walked over to him. She sat next to him on the bed and put her head on his shoulders. Xander took her small hand in his and laced their fingers together.

"This isn't going to be easy."

He laughed; "What was your first clue?"

She smiled and he kissed the top of her forehead. The desire was still there. It was in them both, but the tenderness had returned.

They sat quietly on the bed and watched the full moon as it filtered light into the room. Light that shimmered around their joined hands.

Scene Eighteen: 8:15

Giles entered the closed coffee shop and let the door shut behind him with a loud crash. Ethan turned from his hasty packing and looked up with a droll smile.

"I was wondering when you would show up old man. I have to admit I thought it would be a lot sooner. You could have saved yourself a trip though. I know the entire speech by heart. 'Leave and don't ever come back.' Well, you've got your wish Ripper. I'm leaving."

Giles didn't answer. He just reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small caliber pistol.

Ethan's grew wide with fear; "Ripper, I thought you detested guns."

Giles sighed as he cocked the trigger; "I do. I find them ungentlemanly and crass, but I can't risk not doing the job right. Ethan, I can't have you appearing out of no where. I know that you said that you were leaving, but you forget that I know you well old man. I know that you would return and next time your little game might not be so innocuous. It has to end tonight Ethan."

Ethan moved toward the exit; "Ripper, you can't do this. You are not a murderer."

"I can not let you go knowing that you will only return to hurt the one's that I love. I am getting too old to fight you, so I am taking a queue from you."

"How so?" Ethan's voice shook when he asked the question.

"I am finally giving into one of my darkest desires."

With that said, Giles pulled the trigger.

The sound echoed like thunder in the tiny coffee shop.

Scene Nineteen: The Next Morning

Willow sat down with the morning paper and a glass of water.

There would be no coffee for her this morning.

She was pleased to return home the night before and find that none of her friends had been killed and the demon had been dealt with accordingly.

So, the only thing she had to worry about this morning was reading the paper and filling out her schedule for next semester.

She had decided that going to the University of North Alabama wasn't such a bad idea.

Oddly enough, this was beginning to feel like home.

She gasped when she saw the headline:

Murder Sweeps Through Florence

She scanned the article and shook her head sadly when she saw that many people acted on their darkest desire the night before.

And evidently there were a lot of people with murder on the brain.

Twelve murders and one suicide.

She shook her head as she looked at the picture of a young girl named Rachel Fitzburg who had killed a fellow student and then herself.

She read the article quickly only to turn the page and find a short article on Ethan's coffee shop:

Caffeine High will no longer be serving coffee. The owner, Ethan Rayne 51 was found dead in his shop. Rayne suffered three gun shot wounds to the head and was left for dead.

Police Chief Ron Calhoun had this to say; "It wasn't a robbery. This was revenge. Whoever pulled that trigger didn't want anything other than Ethan Rayne dead."

Willow shook her head and closed the paper.

Ethan Rayne was dead.

She tried to feel sorry for him, but there was no pity in her.

With a sigh, she threw the paper in the garbage and went to put a filter in the coffee maker.

Caffeine didn't sound so bad to her after all.


	4. Chapter 4

16

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season Eight (as told by Crystal)

Episode Four: Oh Mother, Where art thou?

Scene One:

"Are you sure this is where you stopped?"

Willow nodded; "For the hundredth time Buffy, when I came out of the Kala coma this is where I was at."

"Do you think the Kala and his disciple are hiding around here?"

Willow shrugged and absently kicked a pebble next to her foot; "I have no idea. The only thing I know is that when I heard the Kala's voice it was like I didn't exist anymore. The only objective I had was to get to him as soon as possible. He wanted me. He wanted me bad. It gives me the willies just thinking about it."

Buffy sighed. She and Willow had been retracing the steps she took when she was under the influence of Ethan's coffee for the past three hours. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"This sucks."

Willow smiled; "Hey, don't look so glum. We'll just go back to Gabby's house and Giles will be information guy. We will figure this out Buffy. We're the Scoobies. We never lose."

"Those are famous last words Will."

"Well, I figure that I have to be super optimistic considering that I conjured a snot demon to do some concentrated badness and yet again got an evil hair do."

Buffy threw her arm around her friend and gave her an encouraging smile; "Hey, no sweat. Remember it was Ethan's coffee that gave you the new 'do. Ethan is gone and you are all carrot top again, so I think we are to the good."  
Willow frowned; "They were still desires Buffy. The dark ones. I didn't even know that I liked being evil."

Buffy shuddered; "Believe me Will. It would be better if we all forgot about last week's fiasco."

"Still feeling guilty about giving the guilt trip about last year?"

"No I'm not. My friend's ditched me for a turbo-slut. I figure that gives me a crazy day."

"Granted."

Buffy laughed.

They walked along in companionable silence. It was a nice fall day. The leaves were changing colors, so the walk home was painted with deep golds and browns.

"Will, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

Buffy put her hands in the pocket of her jeans and looked up at the clear sky.

"I like it here."

Willow nodded.

"Me too."

Scene Two:

Gabrielle stared at the note that her mother had sent her.

_I never thought that you would be such a disappointment Gabrielle._

She flinched. Gabrielle had stared at the paper for so long that she no longer had to read it.

She knew the entire thing by heart.

Gabrielle put the letter back into her Book of Shadows and went downstairs. She only wished that she were as optimistic as Xander. He thought that everything was going to be okay. For the past three nights, he would walk her to her room and kiss her good night. She touched her lips and allowed the smile to penetrate her stoic surface. She didn't mind that he was so affectionate. In fact, she relished it. She just didn't want to get used to it.

If she were to marry Afagdu, the memory of Xander's tenderness would slowly drive her insane.

"Good morning Gabrielle." She smiled as she saw Giles sitting on her couch with a pile of books next to him. She smiled every time she thought of his enthusiasm over her library. He had nearly swooned when he had come across her private collection of occult books.

"Good morning to you Giles. Have you found anything?"

He shook his head and put the book he had been perusing down long enough to massage his temples.

"I'm afraid not. The Judan is only mentioned obscurely. It would seem that I am searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack."

"Is there anything I can do?"

He smiled at her fondly. She liked Giles. He was so soft spoken and fatherly. He seemed to reciprocate her affection. She found it delightful that he often sought her out to ask her questions about her mother and the Kala. Buffy and her friends made her feel wanted. It was something that she relished.

"You could some how produce the Shavanic records so that I might find the origin of all this mess."

"The Shavanic records? I didn't know that anyone knew about them."

He looked up excitedly; "Do you know about them?"

"The only thing I know is that it is a set of books created by witches in the tenth century. They were lost during the Crusades. The Knights Templar wanted to take the information in them back to England but they were waylaid by Barbarians and the books were lost."

Giles smiled again; "Good show."

Gabrielle blushed at his praise; "My mother told me about them once. I was fascinated by them. She told me that the books themselves were made of gold and the words written in silver."

"Have you spoken to your mother?"

"I have tried to contact her many times, but she won't talk to me."

"I wish that there were something that I could do."

Gabrielle smiled; "You are doing everything you can. Let's not worry about my mother issues right now. You just keep looking for, what is it that Dawn says? The Big Bad?"

Giles laughed; "Good Lord, you're picking up their slang."

"Gabby, I'm going out. Make my dinner and put it in the stove will you?" Walker opened the door and gave his sister no more than a cursory glance.

"Where are you going tonight Walker?"

He smirked; "It is none of your business. You stay here and play house with the Brady Bunch. I've got band practice and then I am going out."

Giles took off his glasses and sat them on the top of the books; "Don't you think that you should stay here and help us? Finding the Kala and his followers could help save humanity as a whole. I would think that saving the world is a bit more important than having an all night jam session with your friends."

"What do you know about it Mr. Jeeves? You aren't helping any either. The last I checked the only thing you do is roam around the house making moon eyes at the Slayer and generally relaying useless information. You aren't my dad. You are just a creepy old guy who should have friends his own age. Save the 'moral' lessons for someone who cares."

"Good morning. Good morning fellow do gooders." Xander smiled at Gabrielle first and gave Giles a nod of recognition. "Why the long faces? It's a new day. The birds are singing. The butterflies are flying and no one has died...right?"

Walker looked at Gabrielle as Xander approached her; "I'll just leave you to your fantasy world little sis. Just remember...Afagdu doesn't like to share so you might as well run wild while you can. For the life of me, I can't see what you see in Captain One Eye."

He slammed the door behind him causing a picture to fall off the wall.

Xander frowned; "I know his your brother, but would you be very mad at me if I were to, oh say, beat him senseless?"

Giles picked up a book and handed it to Xander; "Let's save your displays of masculinity for a time when there is not an approaching apocalypse."

Gabrielle noticed that Giles' ears were red. The poor man was embarrassed and most likely furious over her brother's unnecessary tirade. She wanted to comfort him, but she knew that it would only increase his humiliation.

"And that would be when?" Xander asked the question and fell down on the couch with a sigh.

Silence reigned for the next few hours. The only words spoken where "Hand me that book." Buffy and Willow returned home and picked up their own editions. Dawn eventually came home from school and began researching as well. The only one that had given up was Xander. He was in the middle of the floor face down and fast asleep.

It was just past seven in the evening when Buffy exclaimed; "Oh. Oh. I might have information."

Giles smiled; "Would you care to share it with the rest of us?"

Buffy had refused to make eye contact with her Watcher since the whole "kissy-face incident", so she kept her head down and read.

"The Champion and the daughter will put the beast back into its prison." Dawn sat back with a sigh as she remembered that tid bit.

"The Amana demon told Gabrielle that she and the Champion were the keys to the Kala's destruction."

Buffy nodded and continued to read; "The Champion will grow in strength as his love grows. He will challenge evil and face it willingly. He has fought many battles but never won them alone."

Buffy frowned and read the next passage silently.

"What is it Buffy?"

"There is a poem." She cleared her throat and continued; "She will dream of him at night; he will whisper words of love and hold her tight…"

Gabrielle gasped and put her fingers to her lips; "Old Gods will kneel before them as they will embrace; the faeries will dance in jubilation to the smile on their face. The darkness will disappear and all will be right; her champion will lead her there to a place of light."

Buffy marked the page in the book with her finger and stared at Gabrielle; "How did you know that?"

Gabrielle thought quickly and couldn't help but spare a glance at Xander's sleeping form. She couldn't do this to him. She refused to let anything happen to him. So she lied. If what she was thinking were true, she would be placing him in more danger than he has ever known. He was too special for that.

"It was a nursery rhyme that my mother would say to me." She looked at Giles pleadingly; "It was the only story I loved more than the Shavanic Records."

Giles nodded and he turned his attention back to Buffy. The Slayer looked uncomfortable as her Watcher approached, but Gabrielle couldn't help but sigh in relief. She quietly excused herself and ran up the stairs.

She was going to get some answers.

Scene Three:

Gabrielle didn't even bother to ground. She shut the door hastily behind her and whispered loudly.

"Aphrodite, get down here." She knew she was behaving like a petulant child, but she couldn't refrain from punctuating her words by stomping her foot on the carpet.

She frowned when Eros appeared.

"I want your mother."

He smiled. His blond hair lifted from his bare shoulders as he walked toward her seductively.

"Gabby, Gabby, Gabby how long has it been?"

The real Eros was a far cry from the winged Cherub with the bow and arrow. He was a man whose every movement and breath was bent on seduction.

Fortunately, Gabrielle was immune.

"Don't try your smooth talking with me. I know your wife and I know that you would never cheat on her. Psyche would stuff you and mount you so don't try the Brad Pitt routine with me. I am not in the mood."

Eros laughed. His green eyes twinkled merrily and he leaned forward to give her an affectionate kiss on the forehead.

"Good to see you little sister."

Gabrielle couldn't refrain from smiling back.

"Eros, why didn't Aphrodite come?"

He shook his head; "Aphrodite has been forbidden to see you. Not until this is all over."

"Why?"

He looked gave her a wink and a devil-may-care smile; "I heard this interesting story about this girl I know defying the Gatekeepers..."

"So my punishment is not being able to have the information that I need?"

Eros shrugged; "I just give the messages little sister."

"I am trying to find out how to put the Kala back in the Cauldron. You would think that the Powers That Be would care more about the world."

"Everything happens for a reason. Aphrodite shouldn't have told you about your destiny and you shouldn't have called forth a soul from the underworld without permission. The Powers That Be see that as an even trade."

"I have to know Eros. I have to know if Xander is the Champion in the rhyme."

He smiled fondly at her; "Little sister, that is only part of the rhyme."

"What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but Psyche has a soft spot for you so..." He leaned forward and whispered; "There is more to the rhyme. More than even Aphrodite knew to tell you. It is lost."

"Lost where?"

Eros chuckled; "It wouldn't be lost if someone knew where it was."

She nodded and squelched the urge to pound his perfectly shaped head into the wall until he bled profusely; "What am I supposed to do?"

"Let nature take its course. Don't rush destiny Gabrielle."

She sighed in irritation; "Are there any other clichés you want to impart upon me before you go?"

He smiled; "Gabrielle, your future, your destiny is not determined by any rhyme or prophecy. The Gods just make the map. It is up to you to follow it. In the end we all end up in the same place no matter which course we take."

"So, I don't have to tell Xander that he is the Champion?"

"I didn't say that. If he is meant to slay dragons, then the dragons will find him. You can't control the future of another out of fear. If he is truly the Champion then he will fulfill his destiny with or without you telling him."

"I am so scared."

Eros, the God of lust, wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Fear makes us stronger. When we are afraid we pay closer attention to everything. Every sound is magnified. Every touch is filled with pleasure..."

"Are you getting sexy with me again?"

His chest rumbled with laughter and he pulled back from her and gave her a slow wink.

"You are going to be fine."

"Are you sure? My mom won't talk to me. The Goddess that I need to talk to can't come because we are both trouble makers...."

Eros tilted his head back and laughed; "Little sister, you are going to be okay. This is your destiny. You were meant to do it."

"Save the world?"

He grinned; "It doesn't always take punches and kicks to save the world. Sometimes all the world needs is love."

"So say the Beatles."

Eros grinned; "So say the Gods."

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead again; "I have to go. Mom just couldn't leave you wondering why she didn't answer your call."

"Thank you."

He nodded; "Everything happens for a reason and never forget little sister, that you are a Goddess."

Scene Four:

Xander woke up underneath the coffee table in the living room. The clock on the wall said it was half past twelve.

He groaned and tried to massage the kink out of his neck.

"I am so glad someone decided to wake me up."

He stood and stretched before groaning again.

Damn it. He had missed his usual rendezvous with Gabrielle. Xander smiled wickedly as he contemplated going upstairs to knock on her door. He would knock on her door and she would answer. She would smile when she saw that it was him on the other side....

"No more Lifetime for you buddy." He chuckled and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

He couldn't help but wonder if Anya made it home okay. She had called just before he had passed out to tell everyone that she had gotten a job and that she would be home later.

He smiled.

Anya would be happy as long as she had her money.

Xander leaned back and rolled his neck from side to side. It was weird. Sunnydale was gone. He hadn't seen his parents in over five months and he didn't miss either of them, but he had missed Buffy, Willow, Dawn, and Giles more than he cared to admit. Somewhere along the way, Xander Harris had gotten a family.

And now he was ready to expand it.

He wanted his friends to accept Gabrielle. He wanted them to love her and get to know her. He wanted her to be a permanent part of his life.

"Whoa." The word slipped out and he stared into the half empty glass with wide eyes.

He had thought that he wanted the same thing with Anya, but the only thing he had done was hurt her more than he ever dreamed.

He couldn't do that to Gabby. No, he wouldn't do that to Gabby. She was special.

It was so weird. He hadn't known her for more than a month, but he felt connected to her. It was like she was something that he never knew that he was missing until he found her.

If something were to ever happen to her...

He shivered at the thought.

If something were to happen to her, Xander was sure that he would feel like one of his limbs had been severed.

She was a part of him.

A new and wonderful part that he wanted to explore and nurture.

"No more Oprah either." He told himself and drank the rest of the water.

Xander's intimate musings were interrupted by the departure of Walker's car. He frowned. He really didn't like that man. There was something about him that gave him the wiggins.

"He's an asshole."

And from experience, Xander knew that assholes were pretty much always the bad guys of the piece.

He put the glass in the sink and sighed.

"Looks like I'm going undercover." He grinned at his melodramatic thought and hummed the theme from Mission Impossible as he took the keys to Giles' car.

Scene Five:

It was hard to drive at night with only one good eye, but he managed to get to his destination in one piece. He had stayed two cars behind Walker during the entire drive. They had gone through downtown Florence to end up in a seedy part of town.

Walker parked his car in front of an old gray building with the worn words "Bubba's Tire and Radiator Repair" on the front of it.

Gabrielle's brother looked around for a long moment before slipping a key into the lock of the abandoned building and opening the door.

Xander squatted low to the ground and followed Walker. Yep, Gabby's big brother was definitely proving to be bad guy material.

He peered in the window as the other man flipped a switch causing several fluorescent bulbs to slowly come to life. Xander blinked a couple of times to allow himself to adjust to the change.

Walker didn't seem phased. He went to a small refrigerator and pulled out a beer. With a flourish, he tilted his head back and gulped the entire can.

"Oh, classy." Xander whispered to himself.

Walker moved around the room casually. Like he had all the time in the world. Xander was about to turn away and go home when he heard Walker say;

"Yes master. I'll try to get a younger one tomorrow."

Xander turned around and watched as blood spewed from the far side of the room and bones clattered to the floor.

Walker calmly got a mop and diligently began to clean up the mess. Xander didn't know what to do. He had seen blood before. But he had never seen someone so calm about cleaning it up. Even Buffy, who was the Blood Queen of the Universe, still shuddered when she saw a dead body.

Walker didn't feel a thing. He sloshed and slopped around in the blood like it was a simple puddle—left in front of him like after a spring rain.

After the blood had been mopped, Walker picked up the bones and put them in a heavy duty trash bag. Evidently, this was business as usual.

Once the mess was completely gone, Walker walked over to the corner where the blood had come from in the first place.

"It is done."

With those words spoken, he got up and pulled a lever on one of the far walls. Xander watched in morbid fascination as a set of pulleys went into action and a woman appeared. Her hands and feet were bound a la crucifixion and a black cloth had been pushed all the way to the back of her throat. But even though she was bound, the woman still managed to look at Walker like he was dirt beneath her shoe.

"Be good." Walker cooed the words as she stood the poor woman up to take the gag from her mouth. Then he callously knocked her to the ground.

"I am going to enjoy watching you die..." The woman's voice was strong and clear.

Walker gave her a smile, the kind an adult gives a child that needs to be placated; "I am not going to die. But every mortal you watch over is."

"This isn't over. Gab..."

Xander's ears perked up even more.

"Do not mention her name is His presence."

The woman tossed her head toward the dark corner. When she moved, a thick mane of curly brown hair was revealed.

She shouted at the corner; "You coward. You worthless wretch. I got you in that damn cauldron once and if it takes me a million years I will get you back in."

With no remorse Walker kicked the fallen woman in the side. She winced but bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"You will show some respect in front of the Kala..."

He raised his hand to hit the woman again but stopped in mid-air. Walker calmly put his hand to his side and smiled sweetly down at the woman.

"Sweet, sweet Cerridwen. There is no use in fighting this. I am the Judan. I released the Kala and your daughter can't do anything about it. If you must know, she is far too busy mooning over that worthless lackey of the Slayer to even realize that you didn't write the letter. I can do anything to her that I want to do. She has no protection. She will listen to anything I say, after all, brother knows best."

"I love it when the bad guy reveals his plan." Xander turned to go and get Buffy, but something made him stop.

He saw himself rushing in and saving Gabrielle's mother. Adrenaline pumped through his body and he all but savored the mental image of beating the crap out of Walker.

He could do it.

He could fight.

He could win.

"What the hell am I thinking?" He couldn't risk Gabrielle's mother. Now was not the time to play hero.

He knew where the real heroes were.

So, he crawled away from the window, went back to Giles' car and went home.

Scene Six:

Buffy was having the weirdest dream ever. She and Giles were in bed, but he was young and very virile. She smiled at dream-Giles and rolled over in the bed. He was kissing her neck and doing very wicked things with his hands when she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Buffy wake up. I know where the Kala is."

She sat up and swiped her hair back from her eyes and squinted in the darkness.

"Xander?"

"Buffy, get up. We don't have time for this. Gabby's mom is in trouble."

She rolled out of the bed and put her feet in the plush carpet.

"Wha...what are you talking about?"

"Get up and get dressed. I am going to go and wake the others."

With that said, he left Buffy standing in the middle of her room.

Twenty minutes later the living room was full of people who were droopy-eyed and grumpy.

"You better have a good reason for waking me up. I have a test tomorrow." Dawn poked Xander in the chest for emphasis.

He glared at her and gently sat a disheveled Gabrielle on the couch.

"I found the Kala."

Buffy nodded; "You said as much when you came barging into my room."

Giles shook his head; "How did you find the Kala?"

Xander cast a cautious look toward Gabrielle before saying; "I followed Walker. He left the house, so I took Giles' car..."

"You took my car?"

Buffy placed her hand on Giles' knee; "That isn't the point of the story."

Giles stared at her hand before cautiously placing his over it.

Buffy looked at him and he smiled. She gave his hand a gently squeeze.

Xander frowned; "Hello, I am information guy here."

Giles cleared his throat; "Yes. Of course."

Xander rolled his eyes; "Anyway, I followed Walker to this old abandoned tire place..."

Willow interrupted; "The one that I ended up at after our little caffeine high."

Xander frowned at the interruption; "I parked my car or er, Giles' car and followed him. He went in and cleaned up a massive amount of blood before tossing some bones into a big garbage bag..."

Gabrielle stood up; "I know that none of you like my brother, but I will not sit here and let you accuse him of murder."

Xander placed his hand on her shoulder and finally understood the true meaning of pain when she jerked away from him.

"Gabby, that's not all...your mom was there. Cerridwen. He had her chained."

Gabrielle covered her mouth and with wide eyes she stared at Xander; "No, you're lying."

He shook his head and gently removed her hand. He bowed his head and kissed her palm.

"I am not lying. She was there."

"Was she hurt?" Willow asked the question.

Xander shook his head no. He used his thumb to catch a tear that had fallen from Gabrielle's eye and gave her a smile.

"You know, your mom is one tough cookie. She was yelling at the Kala that you were going to kick its ass."

Gabrielle smiled; "Really?"

"Your mother didn't send the note."

Her eyes grew wide. "Oh my God! The note! Xander, if she didn't send the note then that means Anya isn't here permanently. I am so sorry."

He smiled gently at her. Everyone watching the scene was dually impressed. It was very unusually to see Xander so...well...different. He wasn't cracking jokes or playing the fool. He was being considerate. He was acting like a hero. He looked at Gabrielle like she held the secrets of the universe in her eyes.

"Let's not worry about that right now okay?"

She nodded and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

Giles, who was still shocked by the uninhibited display of affection—that was not induced by potion-laced coffee, removed his hand from Buffy's to run his fingers through his hair.

"Xander, did you find out anything else?"

Xander nodded and gave Gabrielle a tight squeeze before whispering; "Walker is the Judan. He is the one that released the Kala."

Buffy frowned; "We'll worry about Walker when the time comes. Our objective now is to get Gabrielle's mom out of there before she ends up dead."

Gabrielle looked up at Xander; "You don't really think that he would kill her. Do you?"

Xander didn't say a word. He just gave her lips the barest of kisses and stood up.

"I'll bring the car around. Buffy, you and Willow grab some weapons and mo jo stuff. I don't think we really know what we are up against. Dawn, you stay here and wait for Anya to come home. Gabrielle..."

She shook her head; "I'm not staying here."

He smiled; "I kind of figured that. What I was going to say was, why don't you go and put on a sweater. It is kind of cold outside."

It's strange how the slightest thought of kindness given at the most severe of times can affect someone.

Gabrielle was so affected by his simple gesture that she stood on her tip toes and kissed him, well she kissed him in a way that even made Giles blush.

"I'll be right back."

Xander frowned and looked at his friends; "And why are we still standing around?"

Dawn stomped off into the kitchen mumbling; "Who died and made him boss?"

Buffy walked over to Xander, after everyone else had gone about their duties, and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Do you think Walker has killed her yet?"

"Can a Goddess die?"

Buffy gave him a lopsided grin; "Is that something like the question 'if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to see it, does the tree make a sound?'"

Xander shook his head; "Thank you Confusious."

Buffy watched Xander as he watched Gabrielle put on her sweater.

"Feeling some pretty intense things are you?"

He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Buffy, I would spend another four years at Sunnydale High for that woman."

Buffy's eyes grew wide; "Either you are insane or in love."

Xander laughed; "Aren't they synonyms?"

Buffy shook her head; "Come on Casanova, we have a demon to kill."

"You can kill the demon, I want to beat up on Walker."

Scene Seven:

It was raining by the time they pulled up to abandoned building that Xander had followed Walker to.

Xander held out his hand and helped Gabrielle out of the car before staring at Giles with a smirk.

"You know, I am really not loving the whole dark and stormy night routine here."

Buffy climbed out behind Gabrielle and nodded; "I have to say, I am with you on that one Xand."

Gabrielle stared at the building and then back at Xander; "What are we going to do once we get in there?"

"You are going to stay out of the way. There will be too many things going on and I can't help anyone if I am worried about you getting hurt."

She crossed her arms across her chest and gave him a good glare; "Are you telling me to stay in the car?"

"Would you if I asked nicely?"

"No."

"Please."

"And again, I say no."

Giles came up to stand beside Buffy and smiled at the two that were arguing.

Buffy looked up at him and grinned; "You know, I think we are a good influence on Gabrielle."

Giles adjusted his glasses; "Girl power and all that rot?"

"I am not getting in the car and you can't make me." Gabrielle stomped her foot.

Giles gave Buffy a droll stare; "Oh yes, she is really changing for the better."

Willow laughed and Buffy chose to ignore them both. Instead, she pulled out her handy bag of weapons and looked at Xander.

"Okay general. The troops are ready. What do you want us to do?"

Xander put his hands behind his back and frowned.

Okay, he was in control.

Okay, he could do this.

Oh crap. He was in control and he couldn't do this.

They were all going to die.

It would be his fault.

"Xander?" Willow gave her long time friend a worried glance.

Xander took a deep breath. Okay, now was not the time to panic. When they got inside and blood was shed then he could panic. Right now the troops still had hopes in there leader.

Why in the hell was he leader of this mission again?

They were still staring at him.

"Okay," His voice was controlled. Good. "This is a simply recovery mission. We go in, get Gabby's mom and get out."

There. That was a good plan.

Willow nodded; "We know that Xand. How are we going to do that?"

Xander shifted from one foot to the other. He could answer that question. He really could.

Aw, hell. No he couldn't. He felt inadequate. Here he was in front of the people he cared about and they wanted to know what to do and all he could do was stare off into the distance.

He was useless.

A Class A Zeppo.

Gabrielle spoke then; "Well, Buffy, you're the strongest. You could probably distract Walker while Xander and Willow free my mom. Giles, once my mom is free she will need someone to take her to the car and make sure that she is all right."

Giles nodded; "What will you be doing?"

"I am going to hold off the Kala."

Xander shook his head; "See, I liked the plan all the way up to the ending. You are not going anywhere near the Kala."

Gabrielle frowned at him again; "See, there is that word again Xander. 'Can't' I can do this. I know I can. You can't control the future of another out of fear. I am going to be fine."

"How in the hell do you know that?"

She smiled. It was odd. To see someone smile when they were about to rescue their mother from the clutches of their evil brother. But, there she was gazing at him with light dancing in her eyes.

"I know that you and your friends will get my mother out and we will all go home safe and sound. I have complete faith in all of you."

Willow kicked at the dirt; "Aw shucks."

Giles cleaned his glasses off and smiled; "Yes, well, all of this is very good, but don't you think that we should..."

Buffy finished; "Get the party started?"

Scene Eight:

Gabrielle was shaking uncontrollably. The closer they came to the building the more she could feel the presence of the Kala. It tore at her insides leaving her cold. She felt like every she would never be warm again—her soul felt devoid of warmth.

The truth was, besides her fear, she didn't know how in the world she was going to hold of the Kala long enough to let the others free her mother.

She had never full tapped into her power. Something had always stopped her, but she couldn't let anything happen to her mother. For better or for worse, Cerridwen was the woman that brought her into this world, and Gabrielle loved her mother.

No matter what.

"Be careful."

She looked up and gave Xander a reassuring smile when he whispered the words to her.

Quickly, she kissed his mouth and Buffy kicked down the door.

"Well, well, well..." Walker started, but before he could finish his sentence, Xander punched him in the face.

Her brother fell to the ground with a smack.

Buffy looked at Xander and frowned, "Hey, I thought that was my job."

Xander shrugged; "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

Gabrielle watched in amazement as Walker got up off the floor and looked at her with blazing eyes.

"You know you shouldn't have come here little sister."

She closed her eyes and ignored him. This was not part of the plan. She was there to see if she even had the strength to stop the Kala.

_You can't stop me little one._

It was the Kala. He was in her head. Gabrielle's body revolted against the invasion and she forced herself to relax.

_You are going to die. It will be easy for you, but the boy, I will make the boy suffer._

"I call upon..." She spoke the words softly and tried to feel the pulse of the earth.

The Kala was amused by her efforts.

_There is no one that you can call upon to stop me little girl. I am the thing that monsters fear. Do yourself a favor. Go home and enjoy what few days you have left I have only just begun. When I am finished, every man, woman, and child on this earth will be marinating in their own blood. In this story, there are no heroes.._

"Get out of my head."

_You dare to command me?_ The Kala seemed taken back by her show of spirit.

"I want you out of my head."

_Little girl. You do not know who you are dealing with._

"Oh yes I do. I am dealing with something so weak that it can't even take corporeal form."

The Kala laughed. It reverberated in her head.

_I think it is time that you learned to respect your elders._

The last thing Gabrielle heard before the pain ripped through her was the sound of her voice.

Screaming for mercy.

Scene Nine:

Willow and Giles moved quickly with Cerridwen. The Goddess was not resisting her rescue.

"Where is my daughter?"

Giles looked at the Goddess. She was very beautiful. Even though she was probably older than the sands of time she appeared to be no more than thirty-five years old and she shared the same dark brown hair and green eyes with her daughter.

As if to give answer to her question, they all stopped mere feet away from the door at the sound of Gabrielle's anguished cry.

Willow looked at Giles; "We have to keep moving."

Cerridwen looked at her two rescuers with wide eyes; "You would dare to leave my daughter behind?"

Giles sighed; "We dare nothing. We just have to get you to safety."

"I am not leaving this place without my daughter."

Willow was about to open her mouth, but again Gabrielle screamed.

The threesome turned to see the younger woman in the middle of the floor. Blood was coming out of her nose in liberal amounts and every now and again she would clutch her midsection and scream.

"What is wrong with her?"

Cerridwen broke loose from Willow and Giles and glanced back to answer Willow's question.

"The Kala is inside of her. We have to get It out"

Giles frowned; "Would it not be easier if she were at home. I know it would certainly make me feel better to know that we were all in a safe location."

Cerridwen shook her head; "If we take Gabrielle home, then we take the Kala with her. It has to be done here, and it has to be done now."

Willow nodded; "What do we need to do?"

Scene Ten:

Xander hit Walker in the head with a shovel while Buffy kicked him in the gut.

"Why won't he stay down?"

Buffy shook her head; "Beats the hell out me."

Walker laughed. "Oh, I will get the opportunity soon enough. Did you think this was going to be easy? Did you think that you could just come in here and take Cerridwen and leave? You have no idea what the Kala is capable of..."

Xander hit him in the head again; "Buff, as much as I am enjoy causing Walker physical pain this is not helping us at all."

Buffy nodded; "I know. Any suggestions?"

Xander looked around and smiled when he saw the pulley system that had let Cerridwen down earlier.

"I say we give him a taste of his own medicine."

Buffy followed her friend's train of thought and nodded.

They made quick work of getting Walker just where they wanted him. Xander corralled him by hitting him with the shovel and one swift kick from Buffy caused the man to go flying through the air with the greatest of ease.

Walker's shirt was caught on the hook, but he didn't look mad at his predicament.

If fact, he laughed.

Xander frowned; "What in the hell are you laughing at?"

Calmly, as if he were on a Sunday stroll instead of thirty feet into he air, Walker answered with; "While the two of you are busy with me, my sister is finally getting what she deserves."

Xander frowned and turned to find Gabrielle in the middle of the floor bleeding and Giles, Willow, and Cerridwen gathered around.

All of their faces were decidedly grim.

Xander dropped the shovel and walked away.

Walker's laugh grew louder with every step he took.

"What happened?"

Cerridwen looked up at him with big green eyes; "The Kala is inside of her."

Buffy knelt down; "How did he get in?"

Cerridwen answered again; "He seeks out those that are scared. He loves fear. Gabrielle must have been terrified. That is the only way she would have let him inside."

Willow wiped a piece of hair away from Gabrielle's face, just as the other woman grabbed her midsection again.

Xander's was shaking with fear and anger. If he hadn't been so preoccupied with Walker none of this would have happened.

_Don't worry boy. You're next._

"Take me." Xander whispered the words.

Giles looked at him strangely; "Xander, what are you doing?"

"Take me." Xander repeated.

_You are not worthy of me._

Gabrielle screamed again. Tears of blood were streaming from her eyes. Xander grabbed her shoulders and lifted her body up to his.

"Take me." His voice shook with an odd mixture of bravery and unadulterated fear. He knew that he could die, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter what happened to him.

As long as Gabrielle was safe. The world needed her, and he was expendable. He was just about to taunt the Kala further when pain shifted and grew at the base of his skull. He groaned.

Then the room went black.

Scene Eleven:

Gabrielle sat up with a scream.

"NO!"

Buffy threw up her hands; "What in the hell is going on?"

Cerridwen looked at Xander's unconscious body with wonder; "He took the Kala into him. He exchanged Gabrielle for himself."

Gabrielle sat up on her knees and winced at the pain. She ignored said pain and crawled to Xander.

Walker, who was still hanging in the air, began to laugh.

Gabrielle heard his laughter. Anger boiled inside of her and she waved her hand. Walker's eyes grew wide when his oxygen supply was cut off.

He was not the only one surprised by Gabrielle's behavior. Giles, Willow, Buffy, even Cerridwen were transfixed by the silver mists that were now Gabrielle's eyes.

"You can not kill him." Cerridwen whispered.

Gabrielle nodded; "I know that, but I can make him wish that he were dead."

"That won't help Xander any." Buffy whispered the words gently.

Gabrielle abruptly released her hold on her brother and turned to look at Xander.

Her eyes were once again back to normal.

Walker used his brain and kept his mouth shut.

Gabrielle knelt next to Xander and touched the side of his face.

"Giles, is there anything that can be done?"

Giles looked down at Gabrielle with a sad smile; "I can't tell you anything without my books."

Willow frowned. Her face was pale and drawn as she looked down at her childhood friend; "There has to be some kind of magick."

Buffy ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and growled in frustration; "There has to be something that we can do. Xander is not strong enough to fight the Kala."

Cerridwen merely stared at her daughter.

Gabrielle heard Buffy's statement and put her mouth next to Xander's ear.

"Don't you dare listen to that. You are strong. You are very strong. You have the heart and the determination to defeat anything."

_I'm going to kill him slowly._ Xander's mouth breathed the words, but it was the Kala speaking.

Gabrielle ignored the frightened glances of the others_. _Now was not the time to panic.

"You can't have him." She whispered to the Kala through Xander's ear.

_I already have him._

Gabrielle kissed the lips that the Kala had just spoken through and stroked Xander's face. She didn't know what else to do. She had no bag of tricks to pull the answer from.

The only thing that she had was love, and that was going to have to be enough.

"He belongs to me."

_Arrogant child._

Gabrielle leaned forward and said; "You can not have what has already been given. He ventured to give his life for mine. He is above you. He is above us all. He belongs to me. He is mine through love and by power. I will not let you have him."

_How are you going to stop me little girl?_

"I have no way to stop you, but I will never stop loving him."

Xander's body began to shift. With tears running down her face, Gabrielle sat up excitedly.

"I love him." She shouted the words over and over again until Xander opened his eyes.

"Jeez, Gabby. There is no need to shout."

Cerridwen stood back and watched the scene with interested eyes.

Scene Twelve:

Anya stepped into the building to find Walker hanging from the rafters.

"Do you want to tell me how you ended up there?"

Walker answered her with a scratchy voice; "Just get me down so we can do this."

Anya nodded; "Are you sure it is going to work?"

Walker nodded, and she lowered him to the ground.

"He is not in a very good mood, so try to keep your voice and head down when you speak to him."

Anya nodded at his cryptic statement.

_Are you Anyanka?_

She nodded.

_What do you seek?_

Anya glanced nervously back at Walker. He nodded for her to go on, so she turned to stare at dark corner of the room.

"I know that my form is not permanent. Walker told me that Cerridwen's approval was nothing more than a ruse."

_What do you seek?_

"I wish for my body to be permanent so that I might live out my life."

_And?_

Anya knelt before the shadows and bowed her head.

"So that I might live out my life to serve you."

Scene Thirteen:

Cerridwen entered Gabrielle's room without knocking. She found her daughter sitting at the foot of the bed staring out into the blackness of night.

"How are you feeling?"

Cerridwen shook her head at her daughter. How she felt was of little consequence. There were things that needed to be discussed; "You and I need to talk."

"About what?"

"Gabrielle, I am your mother. I know when there is something wrong with you."

"Xander is the Champion mother."

The Goddess sat back, "Ah, I see."

Gabrielle shook her head frantically, "No you don't. He is the Champion but he can never know. I won't allow him to know."

Cerridwen raised an eyebrow; "You won't allow him?"

Gabrielle sat up a bit straighter; "That's right. I will not allow anything to happen to him. You saw him tonight. He is reckless. He thinks too much with his heart. That will get him killed."

"Have you slept with him yet?"

Gabrielle blushed; "No, I have not. Thank you, by the way, for asking such an embarrassing question."

Cerridwen laughed; "There is nothing embarrassing about love. I just don't want to see you hurt?"

"Do you think that Xander will hurt me?"

Cerridwen shook her head; "No love. I saw the way he rushed to your rescue today."

Gabrielle smiled; "It was stupid and very gallant."

Cerridwen nodded and wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulder; "Right out of an Arthurian legend. But do you know what else I saw today?"

Gabrielle looked up at her mother; "What?"

"I saw my little girl become a woman. I know that I am not the best mother in the world, but Gabrielle you made me so proud of you today."

Her daughter remained silent, and the Goddess seemed rather content to hold her offspring. They sat that way for a long time.

"I had an interesting talk with Mr. Giles before I came up here."

Gabrielle nodded; "What did he say?"

"That you thought I would marry you off to Afagdu in an effort to make you pay for your transgressions."

"Mom..."

Cerridwen shook her head; "Mothers have the right to make their children feel guilty. We often make grandiose threats in order to make our offspring listen, but a good mother would never make her child do something that they didn't want to. And above all things Gabrielle you are my child. I would never make you do anything that wasn't in your best interest. Afagdu, is not in that interest."

"What do you think of Xander?"

"I think that you have made a good decision. He has a good heart."

"How do you know that? You just met him."

Cerridwen smiled; "A mother knows."


	5. Chapter 5

16

**Buffy The Vampire Slayer**

**Season 8 (As written by Crystal)**

**Episode Five: Vanity**

Scene One:

Gabrielle stared at herself for a long time in the mirror. She turned around several times and her frown managed to deepen with each turn.

"I don't know about this."

Buffy, Willow, and Dawn sighed simultaneously. They had been making the exasperated sounds for the past two hours.

Dawn leaned forward and grabbed another Twizzler from a bowl on the nightstand and tore into the candy.

"You look fine Gabby."

Gabrielle shook her head again and adjusted the tiara.

"I am not the kind of girl who should be wearing something like this."

Willow snorted; "What should you be wearing? A hunchback complete with bell tower? You aren't giving yourself enough credit. You, my Wiccan sister, are quite the hottie."

Buffy nodded, "Listen to her, Willow knows her hotties."

Gabrielle stared at her reflection again and shook her head. She knew was right. Despite her friend's well-meaning advice, she was not the kind of girl that could get away with wearing a form fitting white dress. She had too many bumps and curves. Too many things that should be hidden under layers of loose clothing. This dress was way too much even if it was Halloween.

Buffy spoke again; "What do you mean 'not the kind of the girl'?"

Gabrielle sighed and pulled at one of the beads decorating the décolletage of the dress.

"I mean, I am not...thin. Dresses like this should be worn by stick figure girls with long blonde hair. The kind of girls you read about in fairy tales."

Willow got up and put her hands on her hips; " Hello, you are the daughter of a Goddess who has been chosen to save the world. Fairy tale anyone? And besides that, who cares? Who made the rule that said normal sized girls with dark hair can't get all snazzed up? Flaunt it girl. That's my motto."

"It wasn't always her motto." Buffy clarified.

"That is beside the point." Willow stated, her hands still on her hips.

Gabrielle smiled at Willow's warrior stance. "I care. Tonight is very special for me. You know that Willow. Halloween...Samhain is the night when magick is at its strongest."

Buffy looked confused; "I thought it was the night when vamps laid low."

Gabrielle nodded; "Yes. It is the night when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. Magick flows freely..."

Willow's face lit with understanding; "And you want it to flow very freely with you and Xander. Right?"

Gabrielle blushed; "I want tonight to be special. I want to feel beautiful. You know, be something that I'm not."

Dawn grabbed another piece of candy; "Who said you weren't beautiful?"

Gabrielle pointed to the mirror; "Every time I look in the mirror I see my flaws. I am not thin like Buffy. Funny like Willow. Or innocent like Dawn. I...well...in case any of you have noticed I wear a size fourteen in jeans."

Buffy stood up and walked toward Gabrielle; "Hey, from what I have been seeing, Xander doesn't care if you wear a size fourteen or forty-two. I'm thinking that he is digging the whole package. No matter what the size"

"I just wish my package were a bit smaller." Gabrielle turned to look into the mirror again. She saw the beautiful dress, the long curly brown hair, and the sparkling tiara. She closed her eyes for a moment and wished that she had long blond hair and an enchanting smile. Once, just once, she would have liked to be part of the beautiful people and know what it was like to be adored.

To be a real princess.

With a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes again and gave the other three women a small smile.

"I suppose I will just have to be happy with what the Goddess gave me."

Scene Two:

Xander adjusted his eye patch and stared at his reflection.

It would seem that he was doomed to be a pirate for the rest of his life.

He sighed and went to the door. Carefully, he turned the lock so no one would interrupt him and walked back to the mirror. With shaking hands, he took the patch off and stared at the scarred tissue around his eye. It was a morbid habit, but he couldn't help it. Gingerly, he touched the soft tissue and winced when he remembered the pain that had torn through his body when Caleb took his eye.

Oh, he wished more than anything that he could look back into the mirror and see the young man he had once been. The boy in high school who had been full of ideals and promise. That boy was long gone now. In his place, stood a man who had to fight, literally for everything in his life. Sure, he might have his own business, but he had to practically sweat blood in order to prove to others that he was just as good as they were.

No one was too keen on hiring a carpenter with vision problems.

"Xander, are you ready to go?" Buffy's voice came from the other side of the door and he found himself covering his wounded eye even though the door was locked.

"I'll be out in just a minute." His voice sounded shaky.

The truth was, he felt sorry for Gabrielle. Sorry that he wasn't a whole man. A man that could look at her with both eyes in order to fully appreciate the wonderful woman she was. A man that didn't have to walk into a room with his head bowed because he was afraid of the pointing and staring that came with his handicap. He didn't like the fact that kids pointed, even screamed when they saw him approach, because they did not understand why he didn't have both eyes.

He couldn't tell them the truth. Oh yeah, it would be great to sit little Tommy down and tell him the rousing tale of Caleb the craziest of all the crazies who served the First Evil ever created popped his eye out of his head like a grape. That would surely give a child pleasant dreams.

He closed his eye and wished just for a moment that he was what Gabrielle deserved. A man with a sparkling smile and two eyes. A man that could worship her with his gaze. A man that could fully see her big green eyes and appreciate the different tones of her dark hair.

A man that deserved her love.

Scene Three:

Willow rubbed her arms to ward off the chill as they stepped out into Gabrielle's back yard.

Cerridwen stood in front of a roaring bonfire and smiled at the young people as they came into the yard.

Willow was dressed as Xena, Buffy was in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, Dawn was a fairy, Xander a pirate, Giles was dressed in his usual bundle of tweed, and Gabrielle was a princess.

Xander frowned when he saw Buffy and Giles' lack of costume.

"You know, I really don't think that the two of you should be allowed to join in the ritual."

Buffy frowned at her friend; "Sorry Xand, but I can't risk something wonky happening and me being turned into my costume..."  
Xander interrupted; "It only happened once."

Buffy shook her head; "Once was enough."

Cerridwen interrupted; "Shall we begin?"

At the sound of her voice, the wind became crisper.

Gabrielle smiled. Xander watched her and couldn't help but smile as well. She looked beautiful.

Just like a real princess.

"Xander?" Cerridwen called his name and he visibly jumped.

"Ye...yes?"

"Come and stand next to Gabrielle. Giles you and Buffy are next. Dawn and Willow come around until Willow is standing next to me."

They followed her orders. Who in their right mind would dare to argue with a Goddess?

"Samhain is a time of transition as the earth prepares for the winter's rest and we prepare for our journey through the dark of the year. Samhain is a time to reflect and remember ancestors, loved ones, and those who no longer walk this earth. It is important to remember them and speak their names." Cerridwen's voice was firm as she spoke.

Gabrielle's voice was the next to ring through the circle; "Samhain is a time of transition when we begin our journey through the dark of the year. Just as Persephone descended to the underworld to guide the spirits of the departed, so we descend into ourselves to find the path our spirits need to follow. This year has waxed with fullness of life and now wanes into shadow. Our souls take rest in the dark as the wheel of the seasons makes its final turn."

Xander opened his eye long enough to watch Gabrielle as she spoke. The wind picked up her hair and caused it to dance around her face like a cape of black velvet. She licked her lips and she and her mother spoke in unison.

"Tonight is the night when magick is full like the womb of the Goddess at her peak. Let all in this circle ponder their wishes and have them lead to everything that they seek."

With that said, Gabrielle grabbed Xander's hand. Power flowed through them. He felt what she felt. Insecurity. Longing. Love. And she in turn felt what he felt. Shame. Loss. Worry.

Cerridwen spoke again; "Wish for those that you love to receive that which they most want and wish for those that are gone to find peace in the realm beyond."

Xander closed his eye at the same moment that Gabrielle's fluttered shut.

And they wished.

The rest of the ritual passed rather quickly. Xander had to admit that he wasn't really into the whole Wicca groove, but Willow and Gabrielle were and he could see why. When the circle was closed, his body felt energized and peaceful at the same time.

Cerridwen watched him closely, but ever since she had moved into Gabrielle's home he had caught her staring at him a lot. It made him uncomfortable. He felt like she was waiting for him to screw up so that she could…what? Zap him with a God bolt?

"So, what did you think?" He broke eye contact with the Goddess long enough to smile at Gabrielle.

She looked up at him with hope. Hope that he had enjoyed something that she felt passionately about.

"It was great."

Those three words made her smile. He reached across the vacant space between them and grabbed her hand.

"Is this your first official ritual?" Gabrielle asked.

Xander laughed when he saw that Buffy had somehow convinced Giles to go bobbing for apples and turned his attention back to Gabrielle.

"Yep. If you don't count all the times we had to work the wiccan goodness in order to put the world back to rights."

Gabrielle smiled; "Xander?"

"Hmmm?"

She pulled his face to her and took a deep breath. Xander watched as emotions passed across her face quickly.

"Xander...do you ever think about me?"

Okay, that was not what he was expecting.

"You know I do."

She blushed a bit and shook her head. Impulsively, he picked up a strand of her silky hair and ran it through his fingers. He smiled when she closed her eyes and her lips parted slightly at his touch. Everything with her was so new. She treated him like no other woman ever had.

"I know that when we had Ethan's coffee that we were both like two dogs in heat." Her voice was whisper soft when she imparted this knowledge.

He laughed and was a bit disappointed when she opened her eyes.

"But, I was wondering if you have thought about the two of us since then."

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed and he could feel her frustration.

"Xander, do you want to have..." She shook her head.

"Do I want to have what?"

She held up her hand and closed her eyes.

"What I meant to say is, Xander, do you think that you might want to make..."

Again she stopped.

Xander sighed; "Gabby, I have no idea what you want to ask me."

She looked at the ground and bit her bottom lip. Her entire body was tense and he could see her shoulders trembling.

"Just forget about it okay?" With that said, she picked up the edge of her gown and went running back toward the house.

Xander watched her run away and scratched his head in confusion.

"What is wrong with Gabrielle?"

Again, he jumped at the sound of Cerridwen's voice.

He answered honestly, "I have no idea."

Cerridwen looked at him in askance and he somehow knew that she thought that whatever had happened was his fault. Heck, it probably was. He just wished that he could have deciphered what ever it was the she wanted to tell him. He hated seeing her so anxious and frustrated.

"Don't you think that you should follow her?" The Goddess asked.

Xander nodded; "Actually, I thought she might need a little time to herself, what with the running and all."

Cerridwen offered him a rare smile; "Xander, when a woman runs away from a man, it is his duty to run after her. She wants you to be moved with concern."

Well, this was news to him; "Really?"  
She nodded; "Really."

Xander looked up at the house and sighed; "I wish that there was a book about how to handle women. I think every man in the world needs one."

Cerridwen gave him a small smile; "No, you do not need a book. Just follow your heart."

"Follow my heart?" He was beginning to sound like a damned parrot.

The Goddess nodded and gave him a small reassuring smile; "Follow your heart. Men, well, men think with the rational side of their brains. They think that everything has to be simple, drawn out. We women don't think that way. We think with our hearts, or at least the passionate women do."

"And Gabby is a passionate woman?"

Cerridwen nodded and looked off into the direction in which her daughter had just ran; "Sometimes, I think that she is the most passionate of them all."

Scene Four:

Gabrielle ran up to her room. She had never been more embarrassed in her life. Never had she thought that she would be brazen enough to proposition a man. It didn't help that she had made such a muck of it that Xander had not been moved to passion. Instead, she had just been able to move him to complete and utter confusion. And Aphrodite had once asked her to be Her Priestess. What a joke!

"Goddess help me." She whispered to herself as she fell back onto the bed with a heavy sigh.

The mirror from her vanity reflected her morose facial expression.

She raised her hand and touched the flesh of her cheek. She wished that it were flawless and not marred with patches of freckles.

Why would Xander want to be with her physically? He was around beautiful women every day. She knew that he had once harbored feelings for both Buffy and Willow. It would be ridiculous to think that he would ever feel that way about her. Yes, they shared a few illicit kisses, but stolen kisses do not a relationship make. Also, he knew how she felt about him, but he had never vocalized his feelings about her.

Why would he want her?

She closed her eyes and remembered all the stories that her mother used to tell her. Some would call them fairy tales, but she knew them to be true.

Anyone who believed in magick knew that fairy tales were based in reality.

Her favorite was about a princess that was so beautiful that anyone who met her fell instantly in love with her.

Gabrielle smiled as she imagined such adoration.

It had to be a wonderful feeling.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes with every intention of returning to the festivities. Instead, she saw her reflection and screamed.

That wasn't her. No way. Gabrielle Kincaid did not have long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Gabrielle Kincaid did not have huge breasts and a size four waist.

But the funny thing was, the woman in the mirror had all of that.

Scene Five:

Xander's steps quickened when he heard Gabrielle scream. His heart pumped with adrenaline. He imagined a plethora of "what if" scenarios, and none of them involved happy kittens or cotton candy.

He flew up the steps and threw open the door.

Then he stopped cold in his tracks.

"Good grief. Who in the hell are you?"

The woman on the bed smiled and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously; "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Scene Six:

"Something is not right." Cerridwen stated the words emphatically as she paced in front of the group.

Giles stared at the woman who claimed to be Gabrielle with wide eyes; "Good Lord. How did you do this Gabrielle?"

The newly blonde witch smiled. It wasn't her usual smile, but something darker. Something that made Giles look away.

"I was just sitting on my bed and when I opened my eyes...poof."

Buffy frowned; "The 'poof' part is what has me wigging out. You see, I am a firm believer that nothing goes right when 'poof' happens."

Gabrielle smiled; "I'm fine. In fact, I am better than fine." She paused to indicate her new body, "It would seem that I am perfect."

Xander shook his head; "Gabby, we don't know what did this. Cerridwen is right. I don't like this at all. This could be the work of some serious evil."

Gabrielle shook her head; "It isn't for any of you to like. It happened to me for a reason and I am a firm believer that you should take a gift that is freely given."

Xander frowned. This did not sound like the woman he knew; "What if this gift comes with a price?"

Gabrielle giggled. It was a high pitched a throaty. Not at all like any sound she had ever made before; "I have been a good little girl all my life. I figure if I have to pay for this, then I will charge it on my Karma Card."

Cerrdiwen frowned and walked toward Gabrielle. She put her daughter's chin in her hand and angled her face left to right. The Goddess' eyes were narrowed and focused.

"Something is not right." She repeated. "Mr. Giles, do you think that you could help her?"

Giles adjusted his glasses; "Actually, I am not sure. Spontaneous transformations..."

Willow frowned and stepped forward to investigate Gabrielle's new face as well; "Is it a glamour?"

Cerridwen waved her hand in front of Gabrielle's face; "No. This is her true face now."

Xander looked at Gabrielle's mother; "What do you mean this is her true face? I liked the old one just fine. I preferred it even."

Cerridwen glanced at Xander and answered; "A glamour temporarily gives the illusion of perfection. All it takes is someone with enough power to stop the flow of the spell and a glamour can be easily broken. Whatever Gabrielle did, she did it well because this glamour will not drop..."

Buffy urged on "Which means...."

Xander broke eye contact with Cerridwen to look at the newly transformed Gabrielle; "I'm thinking that it means something isn't right."

Scene Seven:

Gabrielle fought against the encroaching darkness.

She was trapped.

The last thing she remembered was seeing her "new" reflection in the mirror. What happened next was pretty strange. She had been looking at her glorious blonde hair and big blue eyes when the room had gone black and she felt as if she were being pulled from her body. When she was able to open her eyes again, she had been in darkness. Complete and utter darkness.

"Hello." The voice was like soft velvet and it cracked through the veil of surrounding darkness like a whip.

She turned around. Damn it, she couldn't see a thing.

Not even the owner of the voice.

"Who are you?"

The voice laughed. It wasn't the usual maniacal bad guy laughter. It was one of true amusement.

"I think you are asking the wrong question love."

"Where am I?"

Again, laughter rippled through the darkness. Once his laughter had finally subsided the voice spoke; "You are neither here nor there and you certainly aren't the person you were before."

Gabrielle frowned; "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You aren't who you were this morning. Things are changing. You are changing."

"And again, I ask- What is that supposed to mean?"

More laughter. Damn this guy was annoying. Gabrielle smiled as she wondered how Buffy would handle this situation. Gabrielle was beginning to admire Buffy's sense of wit in the face of adversity.

Silence filled the...well...I guess once would call it an abyss.

"Come now child, don't tell me that you have given up now"

Gabrielle wished that someone would turn on a light. She had the feeling that if she could see, she would hit whoever was with her in the head with a very blunt object.

Repeatedly.

"Why am I here?"

The voice didn't laugh this time. Instead it replied with; "You are here because there was no where else for you to go. It was an even trade."

"An even trade?" Gabrielle sighed and pressed on; "What was I traded for?"

"A second chance."

Scene Eight:

Xander was in the kitchen fixing a sandwich when Gabrielle entered. Or the woman who claimed to be Gabrielle entered.

"Hungry?"

She smiled at his question and licked her lips in a provocative manner; "Famished."

She sauntered toward him. The woman's walk needed its own theme music.

"Ummm, Gabby are you sure that you are feeling okay?"

She smiled again. "I am fine Xander."

He took a bite of his sandwich as she approached him with a decidedly feral look in her eye. Xander watched her. This was not the Gabrielle that he knew. The woman that he had gotten to know these past months would never be so overtly sexual. The thing his liked most about Gabrielle was that she had no idea how attractive she was.

The woman that was walking toward him and licking her lips was well aware of her appeal.

She kept up her one woman parade until she was standing right in front of him. Then with a boldness that made Xander blush, Gabrielle put her hand on his chest and slowly eased her hand inside his button up shirt.

"What are you doing?"

She smiled; "Don't you want me to?"

He stilled her hand with a frown; "This isn't like you."

Again she smiled; "That is what makes it so great. It isn't me. I can be anyone you want. Tell me what you want Xander? Tell me what you need. I can make every prurient desire and fantasy you have ever had come true. Just say the words."

He looked into her eyes and was disappointed at what he saw. Usually, when he looked at Gabrielle her eyes were alive. There was a mystery behind them that he could easily spend his entire life trying to decipher. There was no mystery in her eyes now. The only thing he saw was raw lust.

This was not Gabrielle.

"Who are you?" He spoke the words before he had a chance to think about their consequence.

The woman winced. "Was I too obvious?"

Xander grabbed her wrist and scowled. He pulled her closer. Damn it. He should have known it wasn't Gabrielle. This woman reeked of the scent of vanilla. Gabrielle would never wear something so common.

"What have you done with Gabrielle?"

The customary bad girl laughter followed. She tossed back her head and seemed more than amused by his question.

"I gave her exactly what she wanted."

"What are you talking about?"

She licked her lips again and eyed him like a piece of candy; "She wanted you to have a woman that was beautiful and worshipped. In case you haven't noticed, I fit that description perfectly."

"Where is she?"

The woman smiled again; "You talk far too much."

She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. Xander felt nothing.

"Who are you?"

Scene Nine:

"She is Princess Reyanna Dullanya. Her father was once a proud ruler of a dimension that you need not know anything about. Princess Reyanna was the most beautiful woman ever created. Men would often spend hours just staring at her. No one could capture her heart. No one but a simple noble man by the name of Lochlan Buchanan. Lochlan was the son of a member of lower gentry, but that didn't stop Reyanna from seeking him out at every chance she got. She was smitten. For years the two met in secret. As all these tales go, one day her father found out about her liaison. He was furious and gave his daughter an ultimatum. Either she gave up Lochlan and remained beautiful forever or she could marry beneath her and turn more hideous with each passing day."

Gabrielle was spellbound by the voice. It had been talking for the past hour. She knew it was a male, because as soon as the recitation had begun the silky tones had taken on a decidedly masculine cadence.

"What did Reyanna do?"

"She chose beauty over love."

Gabrielle shook her head. She didn't even know the woman but she was ashamed of her decision. Why would anyone chose looks over love?

"Have you known love?" The voice startled her.

"Yes."

"What would you have done?" The voice asked.

Gabrielle's answer was instant; "I would have chosen Xander."

"Do you think that he would stay with you even though you grew more hideous with each hour?"

"I don't know, but it would be foolish of me to give up some one I care about in the name of vanity."

"Then why chose uncertainty?"

"Because I would hope that Xander would see through my looks and feel my love. I would hope that even though I wasn't perfect that my love for him would make me beautiful."

The Voice was silent for a long while. Gabrielle turned her head in the darkness. Never had she seen anything so completely desolate. It would be impossible for any light to penetrate.

"Then I ask you, why did you make the foolish wish to be something that you are not in order to get Xander to love you more?"

She gasped. It filled the darkness completely.

"How did you know what I wished?"

"It was what set her free. Your insecurity gave her the power to switch places with you, and now she is in your dimension with your lover. Reyanna is ruthless. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants."

Gabrielle frowned; "What does she want?"

The darkness cleared and for the first time Gabrielle could see her surroundings. She was in a simple white room. There were no furnishings. The only thing that could be seen was the distant outline of a human body. She was transfixed as said body began to walk toward her. The closer it got the more she could make out its features.

It was a man in his early thirties with dark brown hair and big brown eyes. He wore a black waist coat and trousers. Actually, he looked like he had stepped off the cover of a Regency romance novel.

"She wants to make me miserable." The newly formed man made his statement softly and ran his hand through his hair.

"Why? Why would she want to make you miserable?"

He gave a sad smile; "I am Lochlan Buchanan. When Reyanna chose her beauty over me I did something unspeakable."

Gabrielle looked at him for a long moment. She saw the secret in his eyes and shook her head at the tragic story that had just been told to her.

"You killed her."

Lochlan nodded; "I wanted her to feel the pain that I felt. I shot her and then killed myself. I know it was the coward's way, but I didn't want another man to touch what I loved so dearly. She broke my heart when she made her decision."

"If you loved her so much, then why did you kill her?"

"I was angry. Furious that she did not love me as much as I did her. I worshipped her. My every thought was of her. When I woke up in the morning I didn't feel complete until I saw her smile. She was my world and I was nothing more than a passing fling. I couldn't be what she wanted. I couldn't be rich and powerful. I was nothing more than a beggar to her father. I felt like half a man, and when she denied me...I would have spent my days loving her because she had chosen me over a pretty face. It wouldn't have mattered what she looked like. I would have loved her with every breath. I would have died for her. But I meant nothing to her, so I chose to die with her."

"I still don't understand."

Lochlan sighed and took her hand. His hand was warm and she could feel the calluses the moment he touched her smooth skin.

"When you wished for beauty Xander wished for himself to be the kind of man you deserved. A whole man. The two of you are repeating history. The sad history of myself and Reyanna. She wants Xander to fall in love with her. She wants to take over your life."

"Why?"

"Because she knows that the thought of her being with another man, even after all these years, would kill me all over again."

Scene Ten:

Reyanna smiled gently at Xander.

"Don't you want me?"

Without hesitation he removed her hand from his person; "I want Gabrielle. She is the only one I want. Where is she?"

She bit her bottom lip in what she hoped was a provocative manner; "Don't you find me attractive?"

"Where is Gabrielle?"

"She is safe. Lochlan won't let anything happen to her. He might be nothing more than a beggar, but he was always a gentleman."

"Lochlan?"

Cerridwen walked into the room at the moment and Xander gently shook his head and hoped that the Goddess would understand that he needed her to remain silent if he was ever going to get any information out of the woman that was currently mauling him.

Apparently, she saw the gesture and understood its meaning.

"Lochlan, is the man who killed me. He is the man that I am forced to spend the rest of eternity with, because he thought I made a bad decision a long time ago." She laughed; "Or the man I was forced to spend eternity with, that all changed the moment your girlfriend made her wish."

Xander frowned and remembered what the woman had said earlier; "She wished to be more beautiful."

The woman nodded; "She wanted to be worshipped by you. The silly girl had no idea that you are too far gone to care what she looked like."

Xander shook his head. Gabrielle wanted to be more beautiful. He didn't think that such a thing was possible. He thought that she was perfect. In fact, he was often struck with wonder that she ever deemed him worthy enough to look twice at. How could perfection get any better?

The woman stepped toward him again, and put her hands on his shoulders. He tried to step back, but she simply giggled. Her vanilla scent assaulted his nostrils and filled his mouth. He fought the urge to gag.

"Oh, you made a wish too. You wished to be whole again. You thought your girlfriend didn't like the fact that you only had one good eye." She shook her head, "Tsk, tsk, vanity is never rewarded. Lochlan had the opportunity to take over your life too, but he was too good for that. To altruistic."

Xander grabbed her arms forcefully. The woman's eyes grew wide. In the back of his mind, he knew that he was hurting her. He also knew that it was wrong to mistreat women, but he had to know what happened to Gabrielle. He would kill this woman with his bare hands if it meant that Gabby would return.

"I want Gabrielle back."

She shrugged and her big blue eyes sparkled merrily; "Sounds like a personal problem."

Xander opened his mouth to speak, but the woman suddenly fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. He looked up to see Cerridwen standing over the crumpled body with an iron skillet in her hand.

"You are awfully handy to have in the kitchen."

Cerridwen laughed; "I do what I can." She put the skillet down and turned toward Xander; "Now, let's drag her somewhere and tie her up. I want to know where my daughter is."

"So do I."

Scene Eleven:

"How long have you been here?" Gabrielle asked as she paced in the nothingness. Every minutes she was there felt as if it were being stretched into a year.

Lochlan shrugged; "About eight hundred years give or take a few months."

"Are you serious? What do you do?" It hurt her heart to think that anyone would be stuck in this nothingness for such a long period of time. It was cruel and inhumane punishment.

"Argue. That's all Reyanna and I ever do is argue."

"Do you still love her?"

Lochlan didn't move for a long moment. He just shut his eyes. Gabrielle took a step closer; worried that something might have happened to him.

She jumped back, startled, when he spoke: "I will always love her. She is infuriating and selfish, but she is mine. I don't regret any of the time we have spent here together, but I would give anything to see her in the sunlight just one more time. She used to be so full of life. I want to hear her laugh again, but it is hard to laugh in a place where light can not live."

"Have you told her that?"

"Have you told Xander about your insecurities?"

"No, but I am not planning his murder out either."

Lochlan grinned sadly; "Touché."

She felt a pang of guilt for what she said, but wanted to find a way to get home more than she felt the need to apologize.

"Well, have you told her how you felt?"

"She won't listen to me. I have spent that last eight hundred years locked in this purgatory with a woman that will not let me touch her. Instead, she simpers and moans. Stomps her feet and tries to make my life, or whatever in the hell you want to call this existence, a living hell."

"But you still love her."

"With everything I am."

"Maybe if you told her that once in a while she wouldn't be such a shrew."

Lochlan frowned; "Well, I won't be able to tell her anything again if we don't get you back where you are supposed to be."

Gabrielle sighed; "So are you formulating a plan, or are you expecting me to do all the work?"

Inwardly, she applauded herself for attempting to take control of what seemed to be a hopeless situation.

Lochlan laughed. It was a booming and joyous sound that filled the darkest corners of his bland world; "Actually, I think I do have a plan."

Scene Twelve:

"Is Gabrielle dead?" Dawn asked as she stared at the blonde woman who was currently slumped over in a dining room chair.

"No, Dawnie. She's not dead." Xander ran his hand through his hair as he made that assessment. He hoped he was right. He hoped that he could work some mo jo that would bring her home. Bring her back to him.

Giles frowned and rubbed his temples; "There has to be something we can do. If Gabrielle is trapped somewhere, there has to be a way to open up the lines of communication with her. Cerridwen and I have spent the last hour searching through all the appropriate books, but we can find nothing, because we do not know where Gabrielle has gone."

"Ouija board?" Buffy suggested.

Willow shook her head; "Gabby isn't dead."

Xander gave Willow as faint smile, "Damn straight she's not dead."

"The Gatekeepers?" Dawn turned to Cerridwen with a hopeful expression.

The Goddess shook her head; "No, my daughter's impetuous need to help young Xander has burned that bridge."

Xander sighed. "She would have tried to help me whether I asked for it or not."

Cerridwen looked at him and nodded; "I suppose you are right."

Buffy sat up straighter; "Hey, what about Anya? She might still have some contacts in the demon realm that may be able to help us out."

Willow looked at Buffy and replied; "Good luck with that. I haven't seen Anya since we brought Cerridwen home."

"There has to be something. A book. A chant. A song. At this point I will soft shoe with Kala himself if it meant that Gabrielle would come home safe and sound." Xander's voice was low and filled with emotion. He shoved his hands in his pockets and just looked at the carpet. He felt useless. All his life, he had waited for a moment when he could do something. When he was the one doing the saving. He wanted that moment to be now more than anything in the world, but as usual, the fates mocked him.

He was still helpless. Still the Zeppo. No matter where he went, that would never change.

Cerridwen placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at the sensation and turned to face the older woman.

"Xander, she will come home. I can give you my guarantee. Gabrielle is stubborn and she knows that she is needed here."

"I don't think she is thinking about the Kala Rameen right now." Xander jerked his hands out of his pockets and shoved both violently through his hair. "I just can't get the image out of my head that she is hurt or scared. Both emotions are unacceptable."

"You are her Champion, aren't you?" Cerridwen asked softly.

Xander frowned. An odd tingle had coursed through his body at her question; "Her champion?"

She put her hand on his cheek and gave it a gentle pat. "When she comes home, ask her about it."

"She isn't coming home." The bound woman shouted. "Don't you people understand that? I am not going back to that awful place."

"You don't belong here." Giles explained.

"I don't belong there either. I am not meant to spend eternity in a land of nothing with that horrible, arrogant, ass. I am better than that. In my world, I was royalty. Songs were written about me. I was revered as an angel."

Xander suddenly felt light headed. He shook his head gently and tried to listen to the woman's tirade, but he felt dizzy. Like the earth was being jerked out from beneath him.

"Xand, are you okay?" Buffy moved away from the coach and walked over to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head again; "Buff, I'm not feeling so ho…ho…"

He tried to scream, but it never made it out of his throat.

The woman in the chair scowled as Xander's facial features morphed into Lochlan's.

Everyone in the room gasped. Well, everyone except her.

"Who in the hell are you?" Buffy asked.

"I have come to take her home." He motioned his head toward the woman.

"Where are Xander and Gabrielle?" Cerridwen asked.

"They are fine. They will return shortly."

"Like hell. Lochlan, I am not going back to that place. You are going to have to kill me."

Lochlan grinned; "Reyanna, you took the words right out of my mouth."

She stared up into his handsome face and grimaced; "You bastard."

Scene Thirteen:

"Xander? Xander? Open your eyes." Gabrielle lightly slapped his face.

He groaned; "What in the hell happened?"

He never got his answer, because suddenly his face was being showered with kisses. He tried to get up, so that he could look at her and make sure that she was okay, but she was surprisingly strong and continued to kiss him.

"Gab. Gab. Gabrielle. I need oxygen."

"Sorry." Her voice was choked by tears. "I thought I would never see you again."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as possible.

"Hey, it would take more than a body snatcher to keep me from you." He glanced around the vastness and kissed the top of her head softly. "Gabby, where in the hell are we?"

Scene Fourteen:

"Are you are going to kill me again?" Reyanna asked Lochlan as he lifted her chair and all. He toted her to the back yard and scowled down at her as he placed her beneath the cool shade of a large oak tree.

"We do not belong here. Gabrielle and Xander do. This is their world. We are the interlopers here."

"I don't care about Gabrielle or Xander. I could care even less about this world. Neither should you. We could have what we always wanted Lochlan. We could leave this place and start all over again."

"You should have said that to me eight hundred years ago Reyanna. We both made our decisions. They were horrible decisions, but they were ours to make. We have no right to try and take over the lives of others."

Reyanna looked up at him with desperate eyes and decided to tell him the horrible truth. The truth that she had kept locked away in her heart for the past eight hundred years; "I made the wrong choice. I should have chosen you. I was young and foolish. I was afraid you wouldn't want me if I was not beautiful. I did love you Lochlan. I still do love you, but I couldn't leave with the fear. The fear that you might not love me if I weren't beautiful."

Lochlan shook his head sadly, "Now we will never know."

"Don't make me go back. Please Lochlan. If you ever loved me, don't make me go back. I will do anything you ask of me, just don't make me go back to that…that…nothingness that we both have to share."

He stooped down and put his hand on her cheek. Her skin was just as smooth as he remembered it. He breathed in her scent and kissed her parted lips for the first time in eight hundred years.

"Reya," his voice was choked as he used the endearment he once called her, "I still love you. I hate what you did, but I never stopped loving you. We don't belong here. You know that as well as I do. Xander and Gabrielle have the chance to have what you and I never did. They could have a happy ending. We have no right to deny them what was so brutally taken away from us."

Tears fell from her crystal blue eyes as she kissed him softly; "What about us?"

Lochlan kissed her again, savoring a taste that he had been denied for so long, "We have to suffer the consequences that our choices have brought about. Please, Reya, I am begging you, don't make the wrong choice this time."

She wept silently for a long time before she acquiesced; "Just promise me that it won't hurt this time."

Lochlan closed his eyes as pain seared his heart and tortured his soul. Silently, he wrapped his shaking fingers around her dainty throat; "It has to hurt baby. We have no other choice."

Scene Fifteen:

"It's good to be home." Xander stated the following morning as he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down next to Willow.

"So, how did it go with you and the Gabster last night? Did you two?" She raised her eyebrows up and down for emphasis.

Xander laughed; "You are perverted. No, we didn't. Gabby and I will," he raised his eyebrows up and down, "when the time is right."

Willow shook her head; "You know, I am disappointed in you Xand. You have a chance to be happy. I mean the stars align and the angels sing happy. Why aren't you going for it?"

"I am terrified Will. With Cordy and Anya, hell even with Faith, I knew that nothing would ever be brought to fruition. Xander would have no fruit, that was pretty much my lot in life. I accepted that. I knew that I wasn't man enough for them. I want to be man enough for Gabby. I want to be more than that. I want to be the one who keeps her safe. I want to be the one that she depends on. No one has ever depended on me before. I have always been a joke. A failure. With her, I want to be everything. That's why I made that stupid wish. I don't want her to think that I am not whole just because I don't have both of my eyes. I know that it is vain and stupid, but she deserves someone that can look directly into her eyes. I am scared that I will never be enough. Never be the man that she needs me to be or the man that I want to be."

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Xander jumped when he heard Gabrielle's voice from behind him.

"Well, it's the truth."

Gabrielle shook her head and walked toward him. She gently removed his eye patch. Xander tried to put it back on. He felt exposed with out it like she had just stripped away every barrier that existed between them. Gabrielle took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes.

"You are not going to deny me this." With that said she put his eye patch on the counter and kissed the scarred tissue on his face. She kissed his nose, his mouth, his good eye, but she made sure to lavish all the attention that she could muster on the scarred tissue of the eye that Caleb callously removed.

When she was finished, she stood back and looked at him.

"I think, that you are the best man I have ever known. I don't care if you have a gimp leg and a lazy eye to go with your patch. I want all of you. Flaws and all."

Xander smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

"Good. Because, from what I understand, I am not the only one who needs the ego boost. I think you should know that I think you are beautiful. Perfect even. Sometimes, when I look at you my breath catches and my thoughts leave."

Gabrielle grinned up at him. "Really?"

Xander chuckled softly; "Duh."

Still smiling, Gabrielle rose up on her tip toes and whispered in his ear; "Why don't you and I go upstairs and you can kiss all the places you think are perfect."

She meant to seduce him, but Xander could feel the tremors in her body. There was still a part of her that feared his rejection. He would make it his personal mission to eradicate that part of her as soon as possible.

Xander took her hand and let her lead him upstairs. They were already in the bedroom before Xander realized that he didn't have his patch.

Willow remained in the kitchen for a long while after her friends' departure. She smiled to herself and whispered softly into the morning air; "Whoever guides the ships of we mere mortals, watch out for those two. They are pretty special."

She chuckled at her melodramatic moment and went in search of Buffy.

Scene Sixteen:

"Do you think we will ever get out of here?" Reyanna asked as she snuggled closer to Lochlan. He had forgotten how much she enjoyed curling up next to him after making love.

"I don't know Reya."

"I did the right thing this time. Didn't I Lochlan?" She rose up to look at him, her blonde hair caressing his bare chest. Her eyes were questioning as she searched his for comfort. His heart broke a little as he stared into those blue depths.

He smiled at her; "Yes you did baby. I am proud of you."

"I am proud of me too."

With that said, she laid her head back on his chest and shut her eyes to close out the nothingness that surrounded them.

Scene Seventeen:

Walker looked at Anya; "Are you sure this will work?"

They had been on the road for the past ten days. Both of them were hungry, tired, and smelly.

She grabbed the book and smiled; "I know what I am doing."

He shook his head and watched as sprinkled blood over the ground.

"What else do you need?"

She thought for a moment; "I need the head of two virgins and the eyes of a soothsayer. You think you can handle that?"

Walker nodded. "I know that the Kala is intrigued by your plan, but I am a little confused. What are you planning to do?"

"I am going to resurrect an entire city."

"Which one?" He was curious as to why they were sent by the Kala into the middle of Nowhere, California with a book and a message:

_Do not return until you have done my bidding._

She grinned and stared at the gaping crater that lay before them; "Sunnydale."


	6. Chapter 6

19

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season Eight (As written by Crystal)

Episode Six: Home Sweet Hellmouth Part One

*Some mildly offensive language may appear in this particular section. If such things offend you, I can only say "oops, my bad."

Scene One:

Her fingers moved with the skill and grace of a well trained pianist as she focused on her characters. She was at her favorite part of the story. The part where the hero finds out that he is something more than what he had ever perceived. She closed her eyes, her fingers still moving wildly, as she typed sentence after sentence. Her mortal mother had always found it odd when she did this. She often wondered how Gabrielle could focus on the words she wanted to say when her eyes were closed. Gabrielle told her the same thing every time—sometimes she had to feel the words as they formed and coalesced on the white space. Seeing was not so important. Sometimes emotions were much more raw and believable when they came from the darkness of human need.

"What's a Champion?"

Gabrielle was pulled quickly out of her trance and looked up from her computer to see Xander leaning against her doorframe. She smiled when she saw him standing in her office and motioned for him to come in and sit down. He walked slowly into the room and sat down in the scarred, but much loved rocking chair that was nestled in the farthest corner.

"What?" She asked nervously. She had heard him just fine, but she coveted every second that didn't involve enmeshing him in his destiny. In fact, she had avoided him for the past week and a half, after their interesting adventure into the Netherworld. When they had returned, there had been far too many questions in his eye. Questions that she wasn't willing to answer, but it would seem that the stubborn man was bound and determine to get his information—whether she liked it or not.

"A Champion, your mother mentioned it to me a few weeks ago and ever since she did, I have been curious to know what it is. She told me to ask you, so here I am Xander of the asking of the questions. I would have asked sooner, but you have developed an interesting habit of disappearing whenever I enter a room."

She blushed and stared at him. She trained an innocent expression on her face, and perused him quietly. He was not the same young man who had stepped off the plane a few short weeks ago. The change was already happening. Didn't he see it when he looked in the mirror? He was more confident, more eloquent, more everything. Even now, there was an aura around him. Something that was profoundly masculine and innately magickal.

"Xander, it's just a fairy tale." She told her lie smoothly and looked away from his face. She needed for him to believe that his destiny was nothing more than a fairy tale. She didn't want to see him hurt or killed, because some ancient prophecy deemed it so.

"I think there's more to it. When your mother said the word, _champion_, something clicked inside my head." He gave her a boyish grin. "It's usually pretty quiet in my cranium, so I couldn't help but sit up and pay attention. It was like a puzzle piece finding its place. I want to know how that word fits into my puzzle."

She sighed. It was long and heavy, but she needed a moment to release her frustration. To be angry with the gods for putting someone like him in the middle of their mortal chess game.

"Well." She looked at him and sighed one more time. There was no other choice. He would find out sooner or later. "Xander, you are the champion."

He surprised her by smiling.

"I kind of guessed that, but it's nice to know that I'm not having delusions of grandeur."

"It would be safer for you if you were."

"Wanna elaborate?"

"Not really." She stated honestly, but she took a deep breath a pushed forward with the story. She knew that it would have to come out sooner or later. It was his destiny and she had been a fool to try and deny him his reason for living. But it broke her heart to think that she was about to tell him the story that would push him far away from a normal life. Or one that was even less normal than being a bosom buddy to a vampire slayer.

"Into every generation a priestess is born. She alone can defend and protect the Cauldron that Cerridwen trapped the Kala in. She is born with magickal skill and ability. She is the chosen one…"

He let his hands fall to his knees and gave her an amused smile; "This all sounds vaguely familiar."

She wanted to reach out and touch him. To feel that smile as it crossed and touched the smooth contours of his face. To run her hands along the sides of his face, but she knew that if she did she would never get the rest of her story out. She had missed him. For ten days she had been running scared, closing her door to him, running from his very presence.

"I am the chosen one now. The last Priestess died when I was six years old. That was the first time that I ever met Cerridwen. She came to me dressed like something out of dream with her diaphanous gown and searching green eyes. I thought that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She told me that I was her true daughter. That the blood of a goddess flowed through my veins. She told me that she was going to make me powerful. She explained to me that I was special, something more than the chubby little girl that I was. She began my training that very night."

"You were just a kid."

She shook her head at his statement; "When you are the chosen one Xander, age does not matter. You are given a task and have no other choice but to do what is right for the people. I might have been six years old, but I knew that I was different. I knew that I was special, but I also understood that I couldn't tell another living soul about the gifts that I had been given. I thought it was a game. I would wait silently by my bed every night and wait for Cerridwen to arrive, and she would always come. I practiced harder for her and for the destiny that I had been given than I have anything in my entire life. I wanted to win her approval. I wanted to be the best, and I was the best." She laughed slightly. "I know that sounds vain and egotistical, but I was. For the first ten years of my training I was something to be dealt with. Cerridwen said that she had never met anyone who grasped the concepts of magick so quickly. However, as with all good things that changed on my sixteenth birthday."

"How did it change?" His voice was soft and inquisitive. She closed her eyes to relish his presence and pushed forward with the story.

"I wanted love. I wanted true, deep, and passionate love. I wanted a boy to come in a sweep me off my feet."

"I am so glad we didn't meet then. You would have been sadly disappointed in my wooing skills. I would have most likely taken one look at you, stuttered, drooled, and ran away. "

She grinned and continued; "My mother is a powerful goddess, but when you want love you go to Aphrodite. So, I supplicated myself and sent up a heartfelt message to a goddess whom I had never met. I begged her for a romance that would make Romeo and Juliet look like the odd couple. I went to school the next day and nothing happened. Honestly, I really didn't know what to suspect. I was hoping that this blue eyed boy in my math class would turn around and confess that he had loved me from the moment he spilled his jello on my in kindergarten, but that just didn't work out." She laughed aloud at the memory of that boy, Cecil Grubkey, who was now a cross-dressing night club singer. Fate was a funny thing. "Well, nothing romantic happened. Instead, Walker was waiting for me after third period and demanded that I tell him why I had been in the backyard with my arms raised shouting at the sky."

"That's how he found out wasn't it? That's how he found out that you were not of this earth."

"I'm not an alien Xander."

He winked at her; "No, just heavenly."

She blushed at his words and said; "This is where you come into the story."

Xander immediately forgot about Walker and leaned forward in the rocker. He gave her an encouraging smile; "Well, then go on."

"Nothing happened for two weeks. I was sulky and wouldn't eat. I wanted to know what was so wrong with me that I was being denied the one thing that I wanted most in the world, so I threw what could only be classified as a Wiccan temper tantrum."

"Again with the elaboration?"

"I stood on the roof of my house and screamed to Aphrodite that I wasn't leaving until I heard directly from her."

"How long were you on the roof?"

"Three weeks. My mortal mother thought I had lost my mind. She had psychiatrists and school counselors that came to the house. One guy held up ink blots and demanded that I tell him what I saw. I ignored them all. I simply sat on the roof and waited. No food, no drink, no television. Nothing. Just me, the open sky, and my will. Finally, on the final night of my third week she appeared to me. The goddess Aphrodite in all of her splendor. She chastised me for contacting a goddess that was not from my own mother's pantheon."

"Was she afraid that you were going to start a cosmic turf war?" Xander asked. He meant for it to be amusing, but she could hear the anticipation in his voice.

"Something like that." She answered before pressing forward; "We talked after that. Nothing special. She asked me about school, my friends, my family. I answered all of her questions. I had no other choice, after all she was a goddess. Then I asked her to answer one of mine. She nodded in the regal manner of someone that wasn't used to be questioned. I asked her why in the world she hadn't answered me. I demanded that she tell me why she hadn't bothered to send a return to sender stamp on my perfectly thought out spell. She shook her head; she smelt like roses and sunshine. She said; 'You are too young to worry about things like love. It will happen…' I remember sighing and thinking 'Great another adult who wants to explain to me that the world is a big bad place and that I should stay in school and not do drugs',and when I looked up at her to tell her what I thought of her advice, she was staring at the stars and her eyes were pure white. It was like someone else was sitting next to me, someone more powerful than the very goddess of love. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and she sang: You will dream of him in the dead of night; he will whisper words of love and hold you tight. Old Gods will kneel before you both as you will embrace; the faeries will dance in jubilation to the smile on your face. The darkness will disappear and all will be right; your champion will lead you there to a place of light."

"That's me? I'm supposed to be this champion? Me? Xander friggin' Harris? I have a prophecy of my very own."

"I think so. We both dreamt of each other before you arrived in Florence and the Amana was sure that he had separated me from my champion. You, Xander friggin' Harris, are something special. Not just to me, but to the world at large."

"Me?" She watched as emotions passed quickly across his face. He looked shocked, which was to be expected, and amused. But most of all he looked incredulous.

"You. Why are you so surprised?"

"Because, I'm me. I don't save the world or have a special destiny. I fix things. Buffy and Willow do the fighting and I clean up. Case closed. I am not a champion. I am nothing."

"You're wrong."

He smirked at her then. There was something brewing behind his eye and it frightened her just a little; "Is that why you have been so eager to tell me that the Powers that Be chose me to fulfill this prophecy? Be honest with me Gabrielle, you didn't want to tell me because you knew that I wasn't cut out for the hero stuff. I am a grade-A sidekick."

She shook her head at his words; "I chose not to tell you, because there is a second part of the prophecy. It has been lost, and I don't know what it is about. That's what scares me. The first part of the prophecy is cupcakes and rainbows, but the second part is a mystery. It is the mystery that scares me Xander. I don't want to loose you."

Again, he smirked; "Very good excuse. Let's not tell Xander what's going on. He might get hurt. He might mess things up. Did it ever occur to you that I needed to know what's going on? Did it ever occur to you when you were confessing your undying devotion that I needed to know why I was feeling all these things for you? I mean, it could all be a fluke, maybe we just got our psychic wires crossed and that's why we dreamt of each other. Maybe it was all a big cosmic joke."

She stood up quickly, knocking her chair into the wall; "Well, if it's a joke, then I'm not laughing. I never thought that you would mess anything up. I was only trying to protect you. I care about you. What I feel is not a fluke. It is powerful and real. This is no mistake."

He took a step closer; she noticed that his hands were clinched into tight fists at his sides; "What if it is a mistake? Obviously, you don't trust me with my own divine duty. If I'm supposed to be a super hero, then I wouldn't need protecting."

She forced herself to take a calm breath; "You aren't listening to me Xander. This isn't about your ego. This is about doing the right thing. I obviously didn't do the right thing by keeping this from you. I screwed up and I'm sorry. I thought that if you didn't know then the bad things wouldn't get to you. Not because you couldn't handle them, but because I don't want to see you hurt. I couldn't handle that. Do you understand?"

"Bull shit." His words went out like the crack of a whip. Gabrielle just stared at him. This wasn't her gentle Xander who wanted the world to see him as more than the guy with an eye patch. This was a wounded man who wanted to reveal who he really was to the world. She felt horrible that she had chosen to keep his destiny from him, because it would seem that people had underestimated him for his entire life.

"Bull shit." He repeated. "Everyone wants to protect me. They want to keep me from the fight and I'm supposed to listen with awe as they tell me about their exploits. Well, I've been protecting myself for my entire life. I protected myself from my mother and my father and believe me they were the biggest monsters I ever came up against. I have always wanted to be something more, and now that I have the chance to prove to myself and my friends that I am more than the class goof-off you want to take that away from me. I am a grown man, and I have seen more battles and dealt with more evil that you can ever know. Don't try to coddle or protect me. I'm tired of being ignored and tossed aside by the people that claim to love me the most."

"I'm not tossing you aside…"

He held up his hand; "I need to think." He turned toward the hallway and stalked purposefully toward the door.

"Xander!" She yelled his name as tears slid down her face. She should have told him. She should have told him how important he was to the world. He was its champion and he needed time to come to terms with that, but it hurt her to see him walk away.

She watched as he turned slowly at the sound of her voice. His eye assessed her. She could see the tenderness in it and she knew that he wanted to comfort her, but he had to deal with his own demons first.

"Are…are you going to leave me?" She unconsciously licked her bottom lip as she asked her question. She tasted the salty bitterness of her own tears.

"I need to think." He whispered again. When he walked away this time, his steps were softer and a little melancholy.

Scene Two:

Buffy and Willow were sitting outside. Neither one of them had spoken a word since they heard the door slam and Xander squeal off in Giles' rental car. Neither one of them knew what to say. They had come into the yard with the intention of enjoying the extremely mild November afternoon only to be treated to the heartbreaking drama performed by Gabrielle and Xander.

"Buff?" Willow whispered once the silence had swelled to almost deafening proportions.

"Hmmm?" Buffy was staring off into the distance as well. She looked confused and preoccupied, as if she too were dumbfounded by the news of Xander's new placement in the order of things.

"What the hell just happened?"

Buffy turned to her friend with bewildered eyes; "Xander is the champion."

Willow shook her head; "Xander. Alexander Lavelle Harris. Xander friggin' Harris. "

Buffy grinned; "It doesn't matter how you say it Will. Xander is Mr. Destiny guy now."

"But this is the same guy who stole my Barbie. Who does the Snoopy dance every year for my own personal amusement. He's Xander!"

"I'm wigging out here too Will. But you heard him, we never really gave him a chance to shine. This is his destiny. We need to be supportive and not act shocked because he has been given this responsibility."

"But, it's Xander. Buffy? What if he does get hurt? Xander doesn't have any special powers. He can't fight like you or do magick like me and Gabby. He has always been…"

"A grade-A side kick?" Buffy completed.

Willow winced when Buffy used the words that Xander had tossed at Gabby.

"No, he's always been just Xander. He is the peanut butter to our jelly."

Buffy was silent for a long time. She picked up a piece of grass and began to break it into small pieces before letting each piece fly off into the gently breeze.

"Maybe it's time for Xander to be the jelly." She whispered.

"I don't like it."

Buffy nodded; "Me either, but we both know that if it is meant for Xander to be the champion, then he will be the champion. We can only be here for him and make sure that he knows that we love him and hand him a battle axe when the forces of evil rise. He's family."

Willow grinned; "We will be his peanut butter."

"Damn straight."

Scene Three:

"You say that the Shavanic Records are lost?" Giles frowned up at Cerridwen as he asked the question.

They were situated rather cozily in a local restaurant sharing a pot of sub-standard American tea.

Cerridwen nodded; "The last I heard they were floating around the Highlands of Scotland."

"Those books would be quite useful. I believe that within that particular text we could find the second part of the prophecy." Giles commented as he took another sip from his ceramic mug.

"I will see what I can do Mr. Giles, but I haven't seen those books since the Dark Ages."

"I could contact the council. They may no something."

Cerridwen smiled; "Yes, the Watcher's council isn't it?"

"Yes. Why do you seem so amused?"

"Did Gabrielle never tell you that I was once a mortal woman?"

"Yes, she said that you were only given goddess status after you put the Kala in the cauldron."

Cerridwen gave Giles a secret smile before leaning over and whispering; "Did she ever tell you what I was before I became who I am now?"

Giles shook his head.

Cerridwen grinned; "You are looking at a member of the Watcher's council."

Giles choked on his tea; "Good Lord."

"I was the watcher of Moira Moghanhan."

"Moira? She was only ten when she was made active correct?"

Cerridwen nodded, all amusement leaving her face as she continued; "She was ten when we began her training. The Kala was released three years later. She died at the age of fourteen Mr. Giles."

"How do you deal with losing a Slayer?"

"They become more than Slayers to us Mr. Giles. They become an extension of our own dreams. In a way, they become our children."

He nodded solemnly and cleared his throat. If that were the case, then he had been having some very twisted and un-parental thoughts toward his "child" lately; "It goes against everything the Watcher's council teaches us to become emotionally involved with our charges. We are supposed to observe, but not interfere."

"But it's hard not to. We get them as children and have to turn them into warriors. We hurt when they hurt, laugh when they laugh, and wince when they are punished."

"Do you feel that way about Gabrielle?"

"I love my daughter Giles. I really do, and it pains me more than you will ever know to realize that she is going into a battle that I would not dare to even send the strongest of Slayer's into. It's easy when we think that it is just another prophecy. Something that has to be done in order to keep the world safe, but it is another to send a child whom we love into a battle that just might kill them. I love my daughter, but she is more than a prophecy. She is my flesh, my blood, my heart. I don't want to watch her die. Part of me wants to say to hell with the world. After all, it is slowly being killed by its own hatred. The Kala will barely be noticed by some. I want her safe, but she is special. Gabrielle, Xander, Buffy, Willow, and Dawn see the world differently than we do. They want to make it better, because they think it is capable of being better. We know better. We know that while there may be demons and vampires that roam the darkness that human beings will destroy themselves sooner or later."

Giles nodded. It was wonderful to have someone that understood what it felt like to be the only adult among a passel of children. He also understood Cerridwen's thoughts about the world at large. He had often thought the same thing. He and the other members of his group had fought for seven years to try and keep the world safe, but nothing had ever changed. People still died and demons still roamed the earth. Sometimes it felt as if they were all fighting a losing battle.

"How does it feel," Giles asked tentatively, "to know that your daughter is being charged with the great responsibility? She may not be a Slayer, but she still wields a power that is beyond most mortal comprehension."

"Gabrielle is wise, kind, and thinks well on her feet, but I can't help but wonder if this is too much for her. She and Xander have a lot to face…"

"Xander?"

"He is the champion."

Giles spilled his tea and didn't move to clean it up; "Good Lord."

"I thought you knew."

"No, I was not apprised of this turn of events."

"Gabrielle has known for quite sometime, but she refuses to let the boy know. She wants to protect him. To make sure that he is safe, but you know as well as I that you can not hide from Destiny."

"Good Lord. Xander? Really?"

Cerridwen laughed; "Why is it so hard for you to believe? He has fought side by side with your Slayer for seven years. Surely you realize that he has some innate ability for battling evil. If he weren't something special he would have died along time ago."

Giles took of his glasses and wiped them with the white handkerchief that he kept in the breast pocket of his tweed jacket.

"Yes, well, Xander is an outstanding young lad, but he isn't known for his level head in a time of crisis."

"Was he there when the Hellmouth fell?"

Giles nodded; "Yes. He fought side by side with the Potentials and made sure that many got out safely."

"How did he lose his eye?"

"It was gauged out by Caleb, another agent of The First."

Cerridwen sat back in the booth and shook her head; "Let me see if I have it all right, Xander has fought with your slayer for most of his young adult life, he fought with the same Slayer as the Hellmouth came tumbling down, and managed to lose his eye sight in the process. Did he ever ask that you all leave him alone? Did he ever say that he had had enough and wanted a normal life?"

Giles frowned and searched his memory for such an incident; "No. In fact, we often wondered why he didn't leave. He watched his friends grow and change, but he stayed stalwart and true to our cause."

"No, he is not the kind of man to turn and leave his friends and family to the wolves. Did it ever occur to you Mr. Giles that Xander stayed with you and his friends for a reason? Perhaps you were not only training a Slayer. Perhaps you were training a champion as well. It was his destiny to be under your care just as it is Buffy's and perhaps even Willow's. You were training him to protect and defend my daughter when their lives finally intertwined."

Giles blushed at her intense gaze; "I had no idea."

Cerridwen laughed; "Some of the best things in life often hit us when we least expect it Mr. Giles."

Scene Four:

"I'm home!" Dawn yelled as she opened the door and dropped her book bag haphazardly onto the floor.

No one answered. She frowned and stepped into the empty living room.

"I brought a boy home! We are going to have the sex and participate in a human sacrifice!"

Nothing but silence.

She sighed and plopped down on the couch. Home alone. Again. Dawn sighed and picked up the remote control that been left on coffee table. She leaned back and began to channel surf.

"I'm a latch-key kid." She whispered to no one. She should really be used to it by now. Everyone had their own lives to contend to and often forgot about Buffy's mystical key slash annoying little sister. Maybe she should branch out and get her own friends. Or a boyfriend at least. Dawn sighed and imagined what it would be like to be cuddled up on the couch with some little piece of hotness while her steadily single sister watched with envy.

The thought made her smile and she threw the remote down beside her as she continued to fantasize about the faceless boy who would make all of her dreams come true. She wondered what it was like to have someone want to be with her, not because she was the sister of the slayer or an ex-magickal creature, but because she was just Dawn Summers.

_We interrupt this program for a special announcement._

Dawn opened one eye at the newscaster's suppressed voice and stared at the perfectly coiffed woman on the television.

_Good afternoon everyone. I'm Sarah McMann. We will return to your regularly scheduled program shortly. We have just received word that the crater that was once Sunnydale, California has now re-emerged. Chet Storm is at the site right now. Chet can you hear me?_

Dawn sat up a little straighter and stared slack-jawed at the picture on the screen. Chet Storm was standing in a dark blue suit with matching tie. His dark blonde hair was moving gently with the breeze and behind him, as if nothing had ever happened was Sunnydale, California. Dawn turned the volume up and listened carefully. She tried to ignore the fact that her feet were jumping up and down in an agitated rhythm and her hands were now coated with the onset of nervous sweat.

"_Hi Sarah."_

The camera switched back to Sarah who was smiling like a good little Stepford wife into the camera back at the studio.

"_So, Chett. Tell us what's going on."_

Chett put his finger over his ear piece and nodded before saying: _"Well Sarah, it's the oddest thing. The small town of Sunnydale, California disappeared, literally, off the map last year when the entire town collapsed in what experts called a giant sinkhole. But as you can see by the buildings behind me Sarah, something just isn't right. The town has, well, grown up on its own volition over night. No one knows when it happened and the experts are befuddled as to how something like this could happen. It would seem that speculation and 'what ifs' don't matter. The town of Sunnydale is back…"_

Dawn shut off the television, cleared her throat, and screamed her sister's name as loudly as she could.

Scene Five:

Buffy, Willow, and Gabrielle ran into the room when they heard Dawn's scream. Willow and Buffy had run from outside where they were packing up their stereo and the wine they had pilfered from Gabrielle's pantry. Gabrielle had heard the younger woman scream from her office and immediately left the computer where she had been writing.

"Dawn? Dawn? What's wrong?" Buffy's voice was filled with concern as she sat down next to her sister. Gabrielle threw down the pen she had been holding and sat down in the floor. Willow took the spot on the arm of the couch.

"It's back." Dawn kept repeating as she rocked back and forth. Her eyes were wide and moist with unshed tears.

Willow and Buffy shared a worried glance.

"What's back Dawnie?" Willow asked gently.

"The T.V. said that it just appeared over night. It's back Buffy. It's back."

Buffy gently brushed the hair away from Dawn's face and spoke softly; "Dawn, sweetie, we don't know what your talking about."

"Sunnydale." Dawn shivered when she said the name.

Gabrielle frowned; "Isn't that the town where you all came from?"

Dawn nodded but continued to stare off into space; "Yes. It's back. I was watching t.v. I thought I was home alone, so I was going to skip out on my homework until someone showed up. I was flipping through the channels and the news said that Sunnydale was back. They said that it just appeared over night."

Buffy shook her head; "Dawn, that doesn't make any sense. Towns just don't grow back."

"Well, apparently, Sunnydale didn't get the memo." Dawn replied defiantly.

Willow turned the t.v. on and flipped through the stations trying to find something that verified Dawn's story.

"I'm not crazy." Dawn whispered as she finally looked from Gabrielle, to Buffy, to Willow.

Gabrielle answered; "No one said you were crazy sweetheart. We just want to see it for ourselves."

Dawn opened her mouth to speak but Willow cut her off.

"Buffy…" Willow pointed at the television. "Holy shit Buffy, Dawnie's right."

All four women leaned forward to see a well-dressed reporter from MSNBC explain the same thing that Dawn had already told them.

Gabrielle looked at Buffy; "I don't understand. How can a town simply resurrect itself?"

Dawn answered; "When it is on the mouth of Hell rules do not apply."

Buffy looked up at Willow. Her face was drawn and serious; "Will, call Giles. Tell him to get here as soon as he can." She turned to Gabrielle next; "You need to get Xander."

Gabrielle shook her head; "I don't know where he went."

Buffy frowned; "You too have some kind of mystical connection right?"

"How did you know?"

Buffy rolled her eyes; "The next time the two of you have a heart to heart how about shutting the window."

Gabrielle blushed; "How much did you hear?"

"That doesn't matter. You need to figure out a way to find him. Link up. Time Warp. Bunny Hop. Whatever it is you need to do to get Xander here now. You've never been to Sunnydale, so you have no idea what we are up against. We need to gather, regroup, and plan as soon as possible."

"Buffy?" Dawn whispered. Willow was already at the phone calling Giles and Gabrielle was standing on shaky legs and she prepared herself for her upcoming meeting with Xander.

"What is it Dawn?"

"I'm scared."

Gabrielle watched as Buffy wrapped her sister in an affectionate embrace.

"Me too Dawnie. Me too." The Slayer whispered as she kissed her sister gently on the top of the head.

Scene Six:

"Giles? Mr. Giles? Rupert?" Cerridwen stared at the man sitting across from her with growing concern. He had been sitting in the same position for the past five minutes. His cell phone still poised at his ear and his mouth slightly hung open in shock.

"Giles? I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong." She whispered as she put her hand over his.

The contact of flesh against flesh seemed to break him out of his daze. He blinked once, twice, three times.

"Oh, terribly sorry. I must have, what is it that Buffy says, 'zoned out' for a moment."

"Are you all right?" She asked him gently.

"Well, no." He pinched his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. "I am not bloody well all right."

"Who was that on the phone?"

"Willow." He shook his head in astonishment; "It would seem that the town of Sunnydale has re-grouped and resurfaced in its original location."

"How? What?" Cerridwen tried to school her face, but she knew that she wasn't hiding the shock very well. For an entire town to be resurrected, it would take powerful magick, and she could only think of one entity that would want to resurface a hellmouth.

He looked tired and much older than he really was when he gave her his weak reply; "I don't have a clue."

"Why Sunnydale? There are other Hellmouths."

"Yes, well, that is another mystery that must be solved now isn't it?"

Cerridwen ignored his sarcasm and sighed. "I need to go and ask the Gatekeepers what is going on."

Giles nodded but asked; "I thought the Gatekeepers would no longer help us since Gabrielle asked for Anya's soul?"

"I will deal with that when I get to the Gatekeepers. Giles, you need to get back to the house and make sure that everyone remains calm. I haven't known them as long as you, but something is telling me that Buffy will want to return to Sunnydale half-cocked. We can't have that happening. I don't want any of those children hurt."

"How long will it take?"

"I don't know. Time doesn't work there like it does here. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. Stall them. Tie them all to a bloody chair if you have to."

"Good luck." Giles whispered as she stood up.

She grinned at him over the battered wooden table; "Something tells me that you are going to need far more luck than I do Rupert."

Scene Seven:

Gabrielle pulled into the bar and put her head on the steering wheel. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the worst. She had done just as Buffy had asked. She had closed her eyes and followed her heart. She knew that Xander was inside. Waiting. She just wished that her heart had led her anywhere but the strip club she was currently parked in front of. She mentally prepared herself for a plethora of scenarios that were currently running through her head.

It should be a very simple endeavor. She would simply get out of the car, go inside, pull Xander out, and go home. It didn't matter that he had stormed out of her home and headed toward the first titty bar he could find.

She took another steadying breath and forced herself to believe that steaming pile of crap. Reluctantly, she sat up straight and flung the door open.

"Not the kind of place I thought you would matriculate in little sister." Eros said as he leaned casually against the side of the beat up Ford Pick-up that was next to Gabrielle's car.

"I'm not here for me. Xander's inside."

"Why is the boy wonder in a titty bar?"

"Why does Madonna continue to make movies? The world is full of mystery and intrigue. I don't have time for the gods right now." Gabrielle tried to walk past him, but he gently grabbed her arm.

"You have the right to be angry you know." He whispered softly.

"Angry at what?"

"Him. You have the right to be anger that he left you to go to a titty bar just as he has the write to be angry with you because you didn't tell him who he really was."

Gabrielle fought back a growl of anger. "I am not angry with him. I am simply upset that an evil town has re-emerged and I have to go fetch Xander from the clutches of Delilah the uber-whore. And just for your information, I know that Xander has every right to be angry with me, but I don't need you coming down from your lofty perch to rub my nose in it."

Eros laughed; "Yeah, you're as calm as a cucumber little sister."

Gabrielle sighed and jerked her arm away from the god.

"Is there a point to this little visit of yours? I'm tired. I'm hungry and I have never been in a strip club before. So, if you came down here to tell me something why don't you just spill it?"

"Mother sent me."

"Aphrodite?"

Eros nodded.

Gabrielle motioned for him to continue; "And?"

He laughed, causing several women and a few men to look toward the sensuous sound.

"I like this side of you Gabby. It's kind of hot."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes; "Will you _please_ tell me what your mother said?"

"Apparently, she has been entertaining herself by watching the melodrama that has been unfolding down here. She wants you to know that everything will be fine and for me to let you know that the course of true love never ran smoothly."

"Shakespeare? She sent you down here to babble Shakespeare at me? First the Beatles, now this? She didn't send you down here with the second part of prophecy or anything remotely useful? Go home Eros. Just go home."

Eros looked hurt. He cautiously put a hand on her shoulder and said; "I'm sorry Gabby. I wish I could do more."

"Me too." She frowned and leaned forward to rest her head on his divine chest. "I wish I would have told Xander about this prophecy. I wish that I had been better for him. He is a great man, and will be a wonderful champion, but I didn't want to see that. I wanted to make sure that he was safe and protected. I did the wrong thing. I don't want to go in there and face the damage that I did to someone that I care so deeply about. What if he is with another woman? What if I go in there and find him canoodling with some top heavy stripper with bad hair extensions?"

His chest rumbled with laughter; "Canoodling?" He put a soothing hand on her back and rubbed it in a friendly manner; "You might be surprised as to what you find. You underestimated the boy once do not make the same mistake twice." He sighed and sounded weary when he whispered; "I'm sorry this is happening to you little sister. If I could, I would make it all go away."

"It's not your fault. It's the Fates."

Eros shook his head; "Clotho, Laekisis and Atropos would be hurt if they heard you say that. You know they love you."

She frowned and looked up into his handsome face; "Maybe I should just grab Xander and run. We could go to Mount Olympus. I know that your mother would take us in."

"Do you think that he would run? Do you think that he could leave the world in peril? Leave his friends and family? Do you think you could?"

"No." The answer was so honest and simple that she didn't hesitate to give it to him freely.

Eros kissed her softly on the forehead; "You see little sister, that's the problem with mortals. You all do things for the best. You want to make the world a better place, but deep down you know that it will never be that way. Just look at the books you right. You write about romance and love and never ending bonds, but all you have to do is open up a newspaper and turn on the news to find out that other people shun what you hold so dear. So, I say run Gabby. Take those you love and run."

She continued to look up at him, "But what about hope? All the gods sit and watch us from the lofty perches like we are some grand reality show. You pit us against each other and make bets on who will live and who will die. Man kind will not destroy itself until all hope is lost and that's why I write the things I write, because I believe in hope and love. Life isn't easy Eros. You wouldn't understand that because you stand under a mantle of divinity, but it is hard for those who are left on earth. We try. We wake up every morning and try to understand why things happen. We all want to love and be loved. I suppose that's why I can't run and neither can Xander. Our destiny is to save the world, not punish it."

Eros smiled proudly down at her; "Little sister, you are one hell of a woman."

Gabrielle blushed and Eros wrapped her into tight, brotherly hug.

She stepped away from him; "Tell Aphrodite, that I am appreciative of what help she offered. I know it isn't much, but I'm sure she is doing all she can."

Eros winked at her; "Will do."

Gabrielle turned to head inside the club. She could hear the heavy techno beat blasting out from the stained windows and tried to fortify herself.

"Hey Gabby?"

Gabrielle turned to find Eros grinning mischievously at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You are not dressed for a strip club." He continued grinning as he snapped his fingers. He didn't have to snap his fingers, but she knew that he did if for show.

Gabrielle gasped when she looked down and saw that she was no longer wearing her fuzzy brown sweater and favorite comfy jeans. Instead, she was standing in the parking lot wearing a backless red dress that stopped just below her thighs. Her shoes were tall and pointed. She glared at Eros.

"Change me back."

He grinned; "Hell no." He whistled. "You've got some legs on you." He shooed her forward; "Go in there and make up with the boy. I'm sure he will forgive you the world when he sees you in that dress."

"You are an asshole."

Eros raised an eyebrow and Gabrielle could feel the hem of the skirt moving up an inch.

"Keep being mean and you'll be walking in there with nothing on but your underwear."

She stomped her foot in agitation and he tossed back his head and laughed.

"Oh, and Gabby?"

She turned her burning gaze back to Eros.

"What?"

Eros' beautiful face softened as he spoke; "Let the boy be a man. He wasn't meant to sit on the sidelines. Support him, but don't try to protect him."

Scene Eight:

Xander took another long drink of the beer he had been nursing and looked around the room with mild interest. This was the first bar he had found when he had stormed out of Gabrielle's house. He had wanted a beer, so at the first sign of neon lights, the rental car turned easily into the dimly lit parking lot. He had pulled in and grimaced when he discovered that it was a strip club. He wasn't interested in seeing half naked woman gyrate on stage. He wanted to drown his sorrows into frothy goodness and try to ponder as to why no one had any faith in him.

"Hey sugar. You wanna dance?" He put his bottle down and motioned for the bartender to send him another one before turning his attention to the woman standing before him. She was in her late thirties with blonde hair and tired blue eyes. He offered her a polite smile before shaking his head.

"No ma'am. I'm just here for the beer."

The woman pouted; "Awww, that's too bad sugar. I think you and I would get a long really well."

"He's with me." He looked around the woman to the shy voice that he would recognize anywhere.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he picked up the newest beer that the bartender had set on the counter.

She stepped around into the light and he nearly fell off the stool. _Well Hello…_ His lips curved into an appreciative grin when he took in the dress, her shoes, and the becoming blush that crept into her cheeks at his perusal.

"You and I need to talk."

The other woman walked away when she finally realized that Xander wasn't interested. He motioned for Gabrielle to step forward.

"Nice dress." He whispered.

Her blush only intensified. "Xander, about earlier…"

He shook his head and put the bottle on the counter. He had come to an odd realization while nursing his beers. It wasn't that people didn't have any faith in him; it was that he didn't have faith in himself. He reached for her hand and smiled when she automatically curled her fingers around his. Gently he ran his hand through her hair and let out a long breath; "I acted like a real asshole."

She shook her head; "No, you didn't. I understand. I really do. I believe in you Xander. I think that you are one of the best men that I have ever met and I believe in you. You aren't that little boy anymore. Your destiny is greater than anyone ever knew and I am proud to be a part of that."

It wasn't a big flowery speech, but it moved him nonetheless. He dipped his head in the middle of a strip club and took her lips with his own. He felt her sigh into his mouth and pulled her closer letting his hands rest casually on the red silk that hugged her body. Xander trembled a little when he felt her hand stretch up and hesitantly stroke his face. He pulled her closer still. This was right. She was right. He gave himself over to the spell that was being woven around him and ignored the pulsating music and whistles of appreciation.

When he broke the kiss, he smiled tenderly down at her.

"Wow." She whispered the one word in a breathless manner and her face was lit with sensual delight.

He chuckled softly at her comment.

She kissed him again, softly on the nose and his heart melted.

"Let's go home Gabby." Home. It had been a long time since he had thought of one particular place at home. He knew that home wasn't the apartment he had back in California. She was his home, and wherever she was he wanted to be. He wanted to go home and stretch out next to her. To allow himself to give over to all of the new and foreign sensations that were slowly overtaking his heart and body.

"Xander, there is something else we need to talk about."

Her voice was so serious that he could feel that fist of dread pounding at the serenity that enveloped him with her presence.

"What is it?"

"I think we better talk about this outside."

He nodded and placed his hand on the small of her back in order to guide her toward the exit. He noticed the way that men looked at her. He saw the appreciative gleam in their eyes and he smiled. He smiled, because Gabrielle was oblivious to any of them. For some reason, she wanted him. He marveled at the strangeness of life until they were outside.

It was cold, so he took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shaking shoulders.

"Thanks."

He only nodded and led her Giles' rental car.

"G-man know I jacked his car again?"

She shook her head; "I don't think so, but I don't think that really matters right now. Xander, we have a slight problem."

"What is it?"

"Sunnydale."

He looked at her for a long moment. "Sunnydale can't be a problem Gabby. It's gone. Sunk. I was there when it happened."

"It's back."

He just looked at her. This beautiful woman who had stolen his heart and given him a reason to live. She was looking at him as well. Probably waiting for him to stomp his feet and rage at the injustice in the world. Actually, he really wasn't sure how to react in a situation such as this.

"Gabby, how did this happen? I mean, foot odor comes back. Bad fashion comes back, but not entire towns."

She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. He knew that the contact was an effort to comfort him. He reciprocated the action and stared up into the sky. Sunnydale was back. All those years of fighting for his life and the lives of those who matter meant nothing, because the damn town seemed to defy logic and cosmic order.

"I don't know Xander." She whispered against his chest. "Buffy just sent me to find you and bring you back."

"What are we going to do?"

"She didn't say. Xander, I know that Sunnydale was not a place that most people wanted to vacation at, but I don't understand why you are all so upset. It's just a town."

He brought his hand up to her chin and tilted her face toward his.

"It was more than a town Gabby. Sunnydale was the home of my every nightmare. People have died to protect it. Hell, Buffy died twice to ensure its safety. I thought when we opened the Hellmouth and dove in that it would be gone forever."

"I'm sorry."

He grinned down at her. "Not your fault."

"Still, it sucks."

He released her and walked her to the car. He opened the door for her and watched as she climbed in. He paid special notice to the way her almost non existent dress rode up to show some very intriguing parts of her anatomy.

He walked around and got in. He put the key in the ignition and stared at the brick wall of the club. Sunnydale was back. It had returned to the map after making such a wonderful exit.

He remembered the way the town and the people had made him feel. He was the kid with the alcoholic parents. The kid who did horribly in school, but always managed to scrape through by the skin of his teeth. The kid that was going to be nothing, but a beer swilling degenerate like the rest of his family. He was more than that now. He knew that he was more. The woman sitting quietly next to him was a testament to that fact, but it still didn't stop the dread from creeping into his heart like an old friend.

"Xander? Are you okay?" Her hand came up to rest on his knee and he picked it up and brought it to his lips.

"I'm scared Gabby." It hurt his pride to admit his fear to her. He had spent the entire day trying to figure out how to allow people to have faith in him only to shrink back to his "old ways" the moment things got nasty.

"Of Sunnydale?" She whispered.

He shook his head and looked at her with sadness sparkling from his eye; "I'm scared that if I go back to that town that you will see what a loser I was. That fate will say oops and take away the destiny that has just been laid before me. I don't want to go back and see the shame in your eyes when you find out who I really am."

"And who is that Xander?"

He closed his eye; "A little boy who cracks jokes and does stupid things in an effort to get him noticed by people who could care less about him."

"Fuck that."

Xander opened his eyes in shock at her language. She grinned happily up at him.

"That's right. I said fuck that. You have people who care about you no matter who you are or what you came from. I don't care if your parents were in the Dahlmer party. I am sure that Buffy, Willow, Giles, and Dawn feel the same way. Sunnydale's back. Big whoop. You kicked its ass before and you'll do it again. So, I say, fuck that. We will simply get a plan of action and take down the…" He watched as her smile grew even wider. "Big Bad then come back and put the Kala in the cauldron."

"Then what Gabby?"

She shrugged; "Whatever you want."

He laughed and leaned over to kiss her softly. She had no idea that "whatever he wanted" involved doing things to her that was most likely illegal in forty seven states.

"Yeah, fuck that." He whispered against her lips as he kissed her again and started the engine.

Scene Nine:

Cerridwen stood before the Gatekeepers bloody and tired. It was hard for a Goddess to get tired, but the Gatekeepers were good at their jobs. The trials they had put her through just in order for her to receive an audience with them had been thorough and painful.

**You have held up well Cerridwen. We are pleased with your stamina and ability to stay the course. We will allow you two questions of which we will answer honestly.**

Cerridwen smiled through the blood; "Thank you great ones. First, I must know, where are the Shavanic Records?"

**Your daughter knows.**

"Gabrielle?" Cerridwen asked in shock. Surely, if her daughter had known where the books were she would have told someone by now.

**Yes, the Keeper of the Cauldron knows where the records are kept, but she must find them on her own.**

"Great ones, I do not follow. If my daughter knows where they are at, then why does she need to find them?"

**Do you mean this to be your second question?**

Crap, they were crafty bastards.

"No. I am sure that Gabrielle will find the records soon. My second question is about Sunnydale. Should the Slayer and her friends return to the Hellmouth?"

**The answers you seek lay inside the mouth of Hell. The children must go. The Champion and the Keeper of the Cauldron must go. It is the only way.**

"Thank you Great ones." Cerridwen bowed in supplication, and hung her head low when she realized that seeking answers from the Great Ones only created more questions.

Scene Ten:

Gabrielle and Xander arrived at her home to hear angry voices coming from inside. She pulled down the hem of her short skirt and walked on wobbly heels to the front door.

"You will not go anywhere until Cerridwen returns." Giles was shouting at Buffy.

"I will go wherever in the hell I want to Giles. I am not a little girl waiting for approval from her father."

"I am not your father Buffy."

"You are no longer my watcher either."

Gabrielle looked up at Xander uncertainly. He offered her a reassuring smile and pushed the door open; "We do this sometimes. You'll get used to it."

Gabrielle stepped fully into the living room to discover that Giles and Buffy were nose to nose. Willow and Dawn looked weary and uncomfortable. Gabrielle deduced that the arguing must have been going on for quite sometime.

Xander walked in and casually pushed both Giles and Buffy back and few steps. He looked at Giles and then Buffy; "Both of you back to your corners."

Buffy scowled; "We don't have time for you games right now Xander. We all have to get back to Sunnydale."

Giles counted with; "Cerridwen has gone to beseech the Gatekeepers for what ever information she can attain. She asked me to get you all to stay here until her return."

Xander looked at Buffy; "That sounds perfectly reasonable to me."

"Xander, this has nothing to do with you…"

Gabrielle watched with wide eyes as Xander threw up his hands and let out a frustrated yell; "This has everything to do with me. This is my story." He pointed at his chest. "I'm the chosen one now Buffy. You may still be a slayer, but there are other out their just like you. I am the only one this time, so I'll be calling the shots."

Buffy raised an eyebrow; "Who says?"

"Fate. Now sit down, shut up, and wait for Cerridwen to return."

Gabrielle waited for more arguing to ensue. She waited for Buffy to angrily accuse her friend of trying to usurp her territory. Instead, Buffy simply inclined her head toward Xander and sat down next to Dawn on the couch.

Giles shared Gabrielle's bewilderment.

"That's it. You aren't going to harangue him in the same manner you have me for the past half an hour."

Buffy shook her head; "Nope. You heard the man. This is Xand's story now, not mine."

Willow held up her fist and grinned and Buffy; "Peanut Butter?"

Buffy bumped her own fist with Willow's; "Peanut Butter."

Gabrielle shook her head and wondered what in the hell they were talking about.

Dawn raised her hand and looked expectantly at Xander.

"Yeah Dawnie?"

"Why is Gabby dressed like a hooker?"

Gabrielle blushed for her forehead to her feet of course Dawn would notice her attire.

"It wasn't my idea." She said in her own defense.

Xander turned his attention to he and raised a curious eyebrow; "Whose was it then?"

"Eros."

Willow sat up a little straighter; "Eros? You know Eros? The God of Lust?"

"He's a pain in the ass."

Xander grinned at her admission and motioned for her to come and sit with him. Everyone else looked at her in askance. She was sure that they were all surprised that she was wearing a dress fit for a prostitute and cursing like a sailor on shore leave. Gabrielle grinned. It was rather liberating. She had never felt so comfortable with a group of people. It was nice to know that no matter what she said or did that they would accept her.

Xander gathered her up in his arms and put his jacket over her legs to keep from her flashing the entire room. He kissed her gently on the cheek.

"So boss," Willow began as she looked at Xander. "What do we do now?"

"Wait for Cerridwen." Xander told them all.

The room fell silent. The only sound was the ticking clock and the inhalation and exhalation of breath coming from the room's inhabitants. The room became a tight fisted ball of anticipation. Everyone paused at every sound and jumped at every creak waiting for Cerridwen to appear and reveal to them what needed to be done.

It was almost too much to bear.

"Who wants pizza?" Willow asked as she hoisted herself up and headed toward the phone.

Xander chuckled. The sound reverberated down Gabrielle's spine. He squeezed her affectionately and whispered in her ear.

"Welcome to the Scoobies. When the tough gets going, when get pizza."

….To Be Continued…


End file.
